ANGOLA      ALGERIA      CAMEROON      CHAD.      CONGO      EGYPT..      EQUATORIAL GUINEA      GABON      LIBYA.     NIGERIA      SOUTH AFRICA      SUDAN      TUNISIA      OTHERS 

Sonatrach Rejects French Offers

07-30-2007

Algerian Energy and mines Minister stated the French energy groups have submitted to the state-owned oil company Sonatrach non-interesting offers.

Mr Chakib Khelil expressed his regret vis-à-vis the offers the French energy companies proposed, “French companies offers don’t fall within Sonatrach strategy as they would not allow our company to improve worldwide,” he added “if the French don’t look in Sonatrach as their favourite partner this is their right, still governments sometimes found themselves signing conventions that don’t forcedly interest their industrial operators because the proposed formalities are not included in the governments general strategies”.

The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has already expressed his will to set convergence between Sonatrach and the French companies like Gaz de France, Suez and Total. The Algerian Minister has welcomed however setting a partnership between Sonatrach and Gaz de France as well as Total activities in Algeria.

 Mr Khelil concluded by saying: “In general we need partners who can bring us a plus especially in technology field and management skills as well as the possibility to enter into markets that we are interested in...We are studying alliances that allow us to cooperate with interesting elements taking into considerations our needs”.