Oil companies in Tunisia threaten to leave the country

30 Août 2020

Tunis, Tunisia, August 30 (Infosplusgabon) - Oil companies operating in Tataouine Sahara, in southern Tunisia, have sent a letter to Tunisian President Kais Saeid in which they threatened to leave the country because of the shutdown of production following the closure of the pumping unit by protesters in the El-Kamour area.

The companies, which are no longer able to meet their commitments to the State and the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company and all companies, called on President Saeid to find quick solutions and restore calm in the area to allow them to respond to their activities.

The protests took place in the El-Kamour oil zone from 23 April to 16 May, 2017, before the signing of an agreement between the government and the protesters. The zone is currently facing the same protests and sit-ins led by the same people as in 2017.

Foreign oil companies operating in Tunisia are experiencing many difficulties because of the protests and sit-ins, especially after the events related to the 2011 Arab Spring.

This is the case, for example, of the British company Petrofac which stopped operating a gas field for nine months because of conflicts with workers before announcing it was ready to leave the country permanently in 2016 but was convinced by the authorities to stay and resume its activities in 2017.

The British company provides 13% of Tunisia's needs in natural gas and provides electricity to the city of Sfax and several others.

According to Tunisian government officials, importing gas from Algeria to replace Petrofac gas for nine months has cost the state US$100 million.

A total of 25 Tunisian and foreign oil companies are working in the energy sector in Tunisia, including the Italian energy giant Eni which operates in the green zone in the far south.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/SDX/GABON2020

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