Domestic crude oil production was down by 11% to 516 kilotonnes (kt) at the end of April 2023, while dry commercial gas resources fell by 13% compared with the end of April 2022, according to the report on the energy situation for April 2023, published on Thursday by the National Observatory of Energy and Mines.
The drop in domestic crude oil production affected most of the main fields, namely Halk el Manzel, which came on stream in 2021 (-50%), El Borma (-17%), Ashtart (-15%), M.L.D (-30%), Cherouq (-29%), Adam (-13%), El Hajeb/Guebiba (-8%) and Miskar (-11%).
Other fields, on the other hand, recorded an improvement in production, namely Nawara (+53%), Gherib (+32%), Hasdrubal (+2%) and Cercina (+26%), the same source points out, adding that other fields recorded an improvement in production, namely Nawara (+53%), Gherib (+32%), Hasdrubal (+2%) and Cercina (+26%).
Average daily oil production fell from 37.4 thousand barrels/d at the end of April 2022 to 33.7 thousand barrels/d at the end of April 2023, according to the same source.
However, natural gas resources (national production + tax package) reached 907 ktoe at the end of April 2023, down 8% compared with the same period the previous year.
Production of dry commercial gas fell by 13%, while the fee for the passage of Algerian gas remained practically stable at 334 ktoe, according to the report.
The report adds that the breakdown of the total royalty between the royalty paid to STEG and the royalty exported shows that the majority is paid to STEG (57%).
In January 2023, STEG overpaid the royalties due to the Tunisian State, a situation that is currently being regularised, the report points out, adding that the flat-rate tax on the passage of Algerian gas fell considerably in the first half of 2020.
"The pandemic that hit Europe, notably Italy, had a major impact on demand for energy, and consequently on the quantity of gas transiting from Algeria to Italy via Tunisia, although there was an improvement from July 2020 onwards, which continued throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023," the observatory explains.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse