Five years after five of Statoil’s employees were killed at In Amenas plant in Algeria, the company extended its commitment to the plant.
Statoil invested NOK 1.85 billion in connection to the extension, wrote Aftenposten newspaper.
‘We signed an ‘extension of production sharing contract’ for In Amenas last December,’ said Information Manager, Erik Haaland, of Statoil in an email. The extension is for five years, up to 2027.
According to a report from the Norwegian Embassy in Algeria, about 60 new wells will be drilled, storage facilities will be repaired, and a compression project will be undertaken.
In January 2013, at least 23 hostages, including five Norwegians, were killed in an Islamic terrorist action at In Amenas.
The security situation is demanding, and Statoil has reduced the number of employees working at the plant, located in the desert, not far from the border with Libya.
‘We continuously monitor and assess the situation in Algeria, and continue implementation of security measures to reduce vulnerability, and the likelihood of unwanted events related to our operations in Algeria. All deployment of personnel is subject to thorough risk assessment’, wrote Haaland.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today