Sonatrach Deepens US Energy Partnerships with Occidental, ExxonMobil
Sonatrach, Algeria's national energy group, has advanced its strategic energy partnerships with leading US companies during high-level meetings held in Houston. Nour Eddine Daoudi, Sonatrach's President and CEO, met with his counterpart Richard Jackson from Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) to discuss enhancing their cooperation and development opportunities across short, medium, and long-term horizons. These discussions specifically focused on intensifying activities within the strategic Berkine basin, a significant hydrocarbon area in Algeria's southeast, and also covered Occidental's expertise in unconventional resources and innovative recovery techniques.
The partnership between Sonatrach and Occidental Petroleum is long-standing, with recent collaborations including a 2022 hydrocarbon contract signed alongside ENI and TotalEnergies for perimeters 404 and 208, and an October 2024 memorandum of understanding for exploration and evaluation in the Berkine-Centre perimeter. Furthermore, April 2025 saw the signing of two technological cooperation agreements concerning complex carbonate reservoirs and advanced oil recovery methods. These engagements highlight Sonatrach's commitment to leveraging international expertise and technology to develop Algeria's hydrocarbon potential, supported by the nation's hydrocarbon law 19-13 which continues to attract major international players.
Beyond Occidental Petroleum, Sonatrach's CEO also engaged with officials from Baker Hughes and KBR in Houston, exploring prospects for cooperation in energy technologies, engineering, and industrial project development, including solutions for drilling, production optimization, and upstream oil and gas projects. Additionally, US interest in Algeria's energy sector extends to ExxonMobil, a Sonatrach partner, with discussions involving a high advisor to Donald Trump signaling a willingness for American investment in Algeria's strategic energy domain. These comprehensive engagements underscore Sonatrach's efforts to consolidate relationships with global energy leaders, mobilize necessary expertise, and bolster the performance of Algeria's national energy industry.
