Algerian upstream remains not for the fainthearted
Even after the hydrocarbons law passes, would-be partners will not have troubles to seek
It has been almost a year-and-a-half since Algeria’s parliament passed its new hydrocarbons law, which was drafted to encourage investment into the upstream sector. But the appetite for new investment will be tested only after the June 2021 general elections, when Algeria’s new legislature is expected to approve the almost-complete implementation texts for the new legislation. Algerian NOC Sonatrach is unlikely to benefit from a strong surge of new private sector investment in the second half of 2021. This is partly a result of the oil price crash of 2020, which forced IOCs to cut spending and high-grade acreage globally. But it is also because Algeria’s new hydrocarbons law is not a game-ch
Also in this section
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
6 March 2026
After Europe’s rapid buildout of floating LNG import capacity, Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys says future growth in floating gas infrastructure will increasingly be driven by developing markets as lower prices, rising energy demand and the need to replace coal unlock new opportunities for unconventional and tailor-made solutions






