Global Arab Network | Tunisia eyes energy surplus in 2009

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Tunisia eyes energy surplus in 2009

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Friday, 27 March 2009 01:04

Following ten years of energy dependency, Tunisia is eying a small energy surplus of 0, 6 million ton of oil equivalent, it was announced at an international energy forum organized by the weekly magazine, Realités on Friday in Tunis.

This improvement –in 2007 the balance showed a deficit of minus 0,2% (TOE)- is mainly due to the increase in the country’s production of natural gas from 2,2 tons of oil equivalent in 2007 to 3,2 TOE during the current year.

In his opening address to the forum, Mr Abdelaziz Rassaa, Secretary of State in charge renewable energies and food industries said that recent gas extraction projects such as the “Hasdrubal” gas field or the “gaz du sud” project, will allow Tunisia to enjoy a gas surplus that is expected to reach 2 million tons of oil equivalent by 2012.

He also said that investments in the energy sector had increased five fold from 2005 to 2008, from 500 million dinars to 2700. Thirty eight oil wells were also dug during the same period, against only 14 in 2005, including some 20 new findings made during the same period.

Mr Rassaa added that in the period 2004-2008, the number of household connected to the gas network increased from 220,000 to 460,000 with a set objective of 700,000 households in 2011.

He also said that one of the aims of Tunisia’s energetic policy is to establish a convergence between the price of energy on the local market and that of the international market.

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