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ALGIERS, Feb 4, 2013 (AFP)
Algeria’s Sonatrach and major Italian energy firm ENI announced on Monday the start-up of production at a wet gas field 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) southeast of Algiers.
The Menzel Ledjmet East (MLE) field, in the rich Berkine Basin, has a daily production capacity of 9 million cubic metres (318 million cubic feet) of gas, 15,000 barrels of oil and condensate and 12,000 barrels of LPG (liquid petroleum gas), the companies said.
The field, which is jointly operated by ENI and Sonatrach, was brought onstream on Thursday.
The Italian firm, the leading foreign oil and gas producer in Algeria, bought the MLE gas permit from Canada’s First Calgary Petroleum in December 2008.
Algeria is a major gas exporter, supplying around a quarter of Europe’s natural gas, but production has fallen in recent years.
Its energy sector was rocked last month when Islamist gunmen thought to have come from Libya carried out a hostage-taking attack on the In Amenas gas field, one of the country’s largest, that left 37 foreigners dead.
Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi pledged shortly afterwards to beef up security at oil and gas sites across the country.
The MLE gas field is located in Block 405b, around 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of In Amenas.
