Austrian company supervising the gas project in the south may have to leave Tunisia

According to the Tunisian daily Al Chourouk, the Austrian oil and gas company "OMV" holding over 8 concessions as Cherouq, Ashtart and in charge of the 370 Km pipeline project called "Nawara" funded by a 500 Euros lean from the European Bank may have to leave the country  and end its relationship with the project. It is noteworthy in this context, that the liquefied gas project of the South, suffers from many difficulties and disruptions that caused the continuing delay in completion of the project, and this delay candidate to connect more than another year at least. It complained of many obstacles and difficulties that have hampered its success in the completion of this huge project suffering from administrative delays, as well as the lack of profitability of the project because of the ongoing decline in oil prices in global markets.

About OMV Tunisia
Tunisia has an important place in the history of OMV, since it was the site of the project the first international exploration and production of OMV in 1971. Since then, Tunisia has become an important component of the central region North Africa with the acquisition of the international activities of Preussag in 2003 and strengthened its position with the acquisition of Pioneer in 2011.

Fire at BG Gas facility in Sfax

Civil protection units succeeded in Sfax on the eve of Thursday, February 12, in extinguishing a fire at British Gas refinery close by Hasdrubal , production has been immediately has been shut down took the necessary precautions.

 Journal Sfax (trusted local news website)

Shell leaves Tunisia

After EnQuest who is leaving Tunisian oil and gas market, Shell is doing the same, the Dutch  company, established back in 2010 in Tunisia its regional office in North Africa in charge of exploration and production, has apparently been forced to take this decision to leave because it failed to obtain the necessary permits for exploration.

Why did Enquest Left Tunisia

Because of the ANC, the Tunisian state has lost yet full of money, this time another company (EnQuest [1]) oil has withdrawn 23 Million dollars in capital assets of Tunisia because of the long wait of the Tunisian authorities .

35 Million dollars was part of the capital of 100 Million dollars for the development of a gas field has Zarrat[2] (Gabes) in partnership with PA RESOURCE which holds 45%[3] of the field (55% ETAP Tunisian state) and that could offer more than 400 permanent direct jobs positions.

Basically because of the bureaucratic procedures of the ANC (Constitution national assembly) who literally froze the investments in oil and gas all along 2014 by refusing to extend or even initiate new licenses[4], the energy crisis will be even greater this year knowing that no other company has invest in 2015 particularly because of the international crisis but also because of political instability.

The new appointed minister of energy, Zakaria Hamed, will have a hell job to fix this especially that the chances for investors to came along the energy crisis are quite thin while Tunisia a big push to get away from an economy suffering since the revolution.

[1]  PA Resources and EnQuest terminate farm out agreements - PA Resources postpones release of Year End Report
[2] PA Resources Jumps After Zarat Field Agreement: Stockholm Mover
[3] PA Resources' licences in Tunisia
[4] Tunisia: NCA Energy Commission Refuses to Extend 3 Oil Permits

Project description TOPIC, S.A.

Project description TOPIC, S.A. (TOPIC or the company) is a small Tunisian oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company, with interest in three oil and gas blocks in Tunisia:

- 100% interest in the offshore Halk el Menzel (HelM) concession block;
- 15% interest in the onshore Jelma exploration block; and
- 50% interest in the onshore Douleb West prospecting block.

The company is not currently producing from any of its blocks.

IFC has been requested to provide a financing package to the company to partially fund TOPIC’s 2008-2011 investment program, which includes:

- the development of an oil discovery in HelM;
- acquisition of seismic data and drilling of exploration wells at HelM and TOPIC’s other blocks; and
- further business development activities.