Algeria Expects Foreign Reserves to Decrease to $76bn in 2020

A general view of the upper parliament chamber is pictured in Algiers, Algeria. (Reuters)
A general view of the upper parliament chamber is pictured in Algiers, Algeria. (Reuters)
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Algeria Expects Foreign Reserves to Decrease to $76bn in 2020

A general view of the upper parliament chamber is pictured in Algiers, Algeria. (Reuters)
A general view of the upper parliament chamber is pictured in Algiers, Algeria. (Reuters)

Algerian Finance Minister Abderrahmane Raouia expected foreign reserves in his country to decrease to $76.2 billion by the end of 2020.

Over the past few years and wit the drop in oil prices, financial pressure increased on Algeria and its major dependency on oil revenues.

Oil and gas revenues comprise about 60 percent of Algeria's budget and 95 percent of total exports.

The status of international energy markets reflected on the country's foreign reserves, which fell from $192 billion in 2014 to $108 billion in mid 2017.

During his presentation of the 2018 Algerian budget before the People's National Assembly, Raouia stated that Algeria's foreign reserves reached $102.4 billion at the end of September, expecting it to decrease to $85.2 billion at the end of 2018.

The minister also stated that the reserves will drop to $79.7 billion at the end of 2019.

Algerian daily Akhbar el-Youm reported that the 2018 budget includes procedures to increase oil prices and impose the new wealth tax.

The tax applies to people who own a wealth exceeding 50 million Algerian dinar, according to the newspaper.

In October, the parliament approved amendments to the Money and Credit Law to allow the central bank for the first time to lend directly to the public treasury to finance budget deficits and internal public debt and provide resources for the coming five years.

Algeria’s economy should grow by 4 percent in 2018, up from the 2.2 percent forecast for this year, as oil prices recover, the government said in a document according to Reuters.

The government anticipates inflation reaching 5.5 percent next year, unchanged from its projection for 2017, according to the document, which is part of the draft budget for 2018.



Egypt: BP Completes 2 New Gas Wells in Raven Field

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, accompanied by several leaders from the petroleum sector, inspect the development and production of natural gas from the West Nile Delta offshore fields in the Mediterranean Sea (Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources) 
Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, accompanied by several leaders from the petroleum sector, inspect the development and production of natural gas from the West Nile Delta offshore fields in the Mediterranean Sea (Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources) 
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Egypt: BP Completes 2 New Gas Wells in Raven Field

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, accompanied by several leaders from the petroleum sector, inspect the development and production of natural gas from the West Nile Delta offshore fields in the Mediterranean Sea (Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources) 
Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, accompanied by several leaders from the petroleum sector, inspect the development and production of natural gas from the West Nile Delta offshore fields in the Mediterranean Sea (Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources) 

British Petroleum (BP) has successfully completed two additional gas wells in the Raven Field, part of its significant West Nile Delta (WND) development off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, the Ministry of Petroleum announced in a statement on Sunday.
The drilling was carried out using the Valaris DS-12 drillship, which began operations in mid-2024.
In a statement received by Asharq Al-Awsat, the Ministry said subsea activities are currently ongoing to tie the two wells to the existing network in the Mediterranean, paving the way for production to commence.
Gas production is now expected to begin in February 2025, three months ahead of schedule, following expedited drilling and installation efforts.
“After completing operations at Raven, the Valaris DS-12 has moved on to the King exploration area, where it will target natural gas in the Lower Miocene layer,” the Ministry said.
It added that the reservoir is anticipated to be reached by late February 2025.
The proximity of the King area to BP’s existing West Nile Delta infrastructure will facilitate a seamless connection to the company’s production facilities, supporting Egypt’s broader strategy to boost local gas output.
This development is part of the Ministry of Petroleum’s wider initiative to expand offshore drilling in the Mediterranean.
Recent projects include Chevron’s Khanjar-1, ExxonMobil’s Nefertari-1, BP’s Raven field operations, and Eni’s resumed drilling at the Zohr field.
These efforts are crucial to strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional energy hub, the Ministry said.