Natural Gas Algeria

BP Amoco and Algerian state hydrocarbons firm Sonatrach signed a $2.5-billion deal to jointly develop Algeria's In Salah gas reserves, executives of the two firms said. BP Amoco will fund 65% of the development of the 200 billion cubic meters of gas over the next three decades and Sonatrach will contribute 35%, the firms said at the deal's signing ceremony Saturday in Algiers. "It is one of the two or three BP major investments in the world. . . .

BP Amoco and Algerian state hydrocarbons firm Sonatrach signed a $2.5-billion deal to jointly develop Algeria's In Salah gas reserves, executives of the two firms said. BP Amoco will fund 65% of the development of the 200 billion cubic meters of gas over the next three decades and Sonatrach will contribute 35%, the firms said at the deal's signing ceremony Saturday in Algiers. "It is one of the two or three BP major investments in the world. . . .

Algeria Opens Oil Reserves: The Algerian parliament passed laws allowing foreign firms, until now banned from sharing output at existing fields, to take up to 49% in known and future oil, gas and mineral reserves in the country. The decision to open Algeria's oil, gas and mineral wealth to foreign exploitation and expertise should bring the country welcome hard cash and better oil production, diplomats and industry experts said.

Algeria Opens Oil Reserves: The Algerian parliament passed laws allowing foreign firms, until now banned from sharing output at existing fields, to take up to 49% in known and future oil, gas and mineral reserves in the country. The decision to open Algeria's oil, gas and mineral wealth to foreign exploitation and expertise should bring the country welcome hard cash and better oil production, diplomats and industry experts said.

A recent explosion that killed 27 people at an Algerian natural gas complex is believed to have started with a leak of liquefied natural gas, Algeria's top U.S. emissary said last week, worrying proponents of LNG import terminals in California and across the country. The Algerian government initially blamed a faulty steam boiler. But Idriss Jazairy, the Algerian ambassador to the U.S.

The hijacking of a French airliner by Islamic extremists represents a new phase of escalation in a struggle for power in Algeria between the quasi-military government and Islamist forces, both radical and moderate. The United States would be well-advised to avoid being caught between France and the Algerians.

In a week when the price of oil rose to $30 a barrel because of fear of war with Iraq, and the ministers of the OPEC members said they would do nothing to bring the price down, it might seem a funny time to be thinking about where the energy industry will be decades from now.