More than 20 international oil companies are interested in six exploration blocks in Algeria, according to the country's Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Last November Algeria began a tendering process for four blocks in the Berkine basin in the southeast of the country, one in the In Salah region in the "deep south," and a further block identified "in the northeast."
Of the companies that have met government requirement for the blocks, 11�including ExxonMobil Corp., Marathon Oil Co., and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group�would be newcomers to exploration and production in Algeria. Other companies likely to bid for blocks by the Feb. 14 closing date include Russia's TransGaz and Kuwait's KUFPEC.
Bidders already active in Algeria's oil and gas sector, noted the ministry, include US oil companies Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Amerada Hess Corp., and Burlington Resources Inc., the UK's BP PLC, Australia's BHP Petroleum Ltd., France's TotalFinaElf SA, Spain's Repsol-YPF SA, and Malaysian state oil company Petronas.
