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The NOC signs a memorandum of understanding with “Sonatrach” to complete its contractual obligations and enhance cooperation in the field of oil and gas
On Thursday, February 10, 2022, the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation in Tripoli witnessed the signing of an agreement of understanding between the NOC and “Sonatrach”. An agreement of understanding under which Sonatrach will return to complete its previous contractual obligations and develop the discovered fields.
Mr. Mustafa Sanalla explained that this meeting comes within the framework of continuous consultation between the NOC and the “Sonatrach”, to achieve the common interests between the two institutions by virtue of the neighborhood and the great experience of “Sonatrach”, and its contributions during the seventies in the development of the Libyan oil sector on several levels, such as drilling, exploration, refining and capacity building.
Mr. Mustafa Sanalla added that the NOC relies on the Algerian expertise and invites it to contribute to the reform of infrastructure and oil transmission lines, rehabilitating and building reservoirs, and added that Libya and Algeria are rich in great potentials of oil and gas, which gives good opportunities for investment. In addition to the importance of the geographical location of the two countries, which enables them to enhance energy stability in the Mediterranean and Europe, especially in light of the crisis that Europe is witnessing in the provision of gas, referring to Libya’s gas discoveries, specifically in the Hamada region, which the NOC seeks to put on production, stressing that the demand for energy will remain major and continuous, expressing the NOC’s aspiration to strengthen the relationship with “Sonatrach” and open new partnerships that serve the public interest of the two institutions.
For his part, the President and General Manager of “Sonatrach” , Taoufik Hakkar, praised the warm reception shown by the officials of the National Oil Corporation, and he also expressed his thanks for the kind reception of the delegation accompanying him.
Mr. Hakkar considered this meeting as a prelude to Sonatrach’s return to complete its contractual obligations in Libya, in addition to providing an opportunity to cooperate with the NOC’s companies to implement several works in the field of oil and gas exploration in Libya.
The signing ceremony of the agreement took place in the bed hall at the NOC’s headquarters, after Sonatrach presented visual presentations of the capabilities and expertise of its subsidiaries in the field of petroleum services, at all stages “geophysics, exploration, well drilling, maintenance, construction, training and skills formation.” .
The speeches of the participants from the parties concerned with signing the agreement were presented by the NOC, and it stressed in its entirety the importance of strengthening joint cooperation between the NOC and “Sonatrach” in the field of oil and gas.
Today, Thursday, Sonatrach’s subsidiary companies and the NOC held a series of bilateral meetings that will contribute to preparing the ground for the return of “Sonatrach” to complete its contractual obligations, and to resume its exploration and production activities in Libya.
The signing was attended by the NOC: members of the NOC’s board of directors, Abulgasem Shengeer , El-Ammari Mohamed El-Amari, and Jadalla Al-Awkali, general managers of the legal and financial departments, human resource development, international marketing, maintenance and projects, computer and communications, production, and a number of specialists, in addition to the heads of management committees of a number of companies, institutes and centers affiliated with the NOC, namely “North Africa, National Construction, PTQI, Al-Jouf, Harouj, Murzuq, NWD, STC, Libyan Oil Institute”.
From Sonatrach’s side, the company’s vice president in charge of business development and marketing, Fathi Orabi, general manager of SIPEX BVI, Nassira Meravni, General Manager of the National Corporation for the Service of Wells, Abdallah Khalout, General Manager of the National Exploration Corporation, Mohamed bin Nizar, and General Manager of the National Geophysics Corporation Abdelkader Charfaoui, the General Manager of the National Corporation for the Drilling of Wells, Ammar Sarqin, the General Manager of the Civil Engineering and Construction Company, Abdelghani Ben Jabba, the General Manager of the Algerian Petroleum Institute, Abdelkader Fannoun, the General Manager of the National Corporation for Canals, Abdel Karim Chahili, the Manager of Communications for Sonatrach, Amal Bagli, and the accompanying delegation.
In conclusion, the President and General Manager of Sonatrach, Tawfiq Hakkar, renewed his thanks to Mr. Mustafa Sanalla, for giving Sonatrach the opportunity once again to renew its adherence to its contracts and to complete its contractual obligations, and to allow the opportunity to discuss ways to develop the discovered fields as soon as possible.
For his part, Mr. Mustafa Sanalla said that this meeting discussed ways to develop relations between the two sides and resume Sonatrach’s activity in Libya, expressing great hopes in the Hamada area, which is the company’s area of operations, stressing that the implementation of the memorandum of understanding will begin immediately.
It is noteworthy that “Sonatrach” suspended its activity in Libya for the first time in 2011, and returned to activity in 2012, before stopping again in 2015 due to the deteriorating security situation in the country.
