Algerian oil tenders won by BP, Shell, BHP and Gulf Keystone

ALGIERS - Contracts for nine oil exploration zones in Algeria were awarded on Saturday to four international companies after the sixth round of calls to tender, officials here said.
BP of Britain won the tender for three of the zones, while Anglo-Dutch company Shell, Australian group BHP and Gulf Keystone of the United Arab Emirates all took two zones each. The nine zones were worth a total of 133.5 million dollars (103 million euros).
Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Shakib Khelil said the result of the call to tender was "excellent".
The chief executive officer of Algeria's national oil company Sonatrach, Mohamed Meziane, expressed his company's willingness to cooperate with the foreign groups and said Sonatrach would "lend any necessary assistance to the smooth running of their oil operations" in Algeria.
Since a first round of calls to tender in November 2000, 27 contracts have been awarded for a total of almost 394 million dollars (304 million euros).

04/09/2005 19:51 GMT