TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy win exploration licence in Algeria

Algeria

ALGIERS, June 17, 2025 – TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy have been awarded a new exploration licence in Algeria, partnering with Sonatrach, the French company said on Tuesday.

The licence, named Ahara, covers approximately 14,900 square kilometres at the intersection of the prolific Berkine and Illizi onshore basins. It is the first award under Algeria’s hydrocarbons law No.19-13.

TotalEnergies will operate during the exploration and appraisal phases with a 24.5% interest, matched by QatarEnergy. NOC Sonatrach holds the majority stake of 51%.

“TotalEnergies is delighted that its joint bid with QatarEnergy has led to the award of the Ahara licence, allowing us to write a new chapter in our long-lasting partnership with Sonatrach in exploration in Algeria,” TotalEnergies chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said.

TotalEnergies is a longstanding player in Algeria’s energy sector. Its operations include oil and gas exploration and production across the Tin Fouyé Tabankort and Timimoun gasfields and the Berkine Basin oilfields (Blocks 404a and 208).

In 2023, it produced 51,000 boepd in Algeria. TotalEnergies also markets lubricants and bitumen via its subsidiaries TotalEnergies Lubrifiants Algérie and TotalEnergies Bitumes Algérie.

This integrated business model reflects the company’s commitment to economic development and ensures synergies across its operations.

TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy have built a strategic global partnership across LNG, oil, and renewables, with cornerstone projects in Qatar such as the North Field East and South developments, where TotalEnergies holds 6.25% and 9.375% stakes respectively, and a 27-year LNG supply deal signed in 2023 for 3.5 million tonnes annually to France.

Beyond Qatar, the two companies collaborate in South Africa’s Orange Basin (Blocks 3B/4B), offshore Lebanon (Blocks 4 and 9), and Brazil’s ultra-deepwater Água Marinha block in the Campos Basin. They also co-develop a 1.25-GW solar power project in Iraq.

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