Algeria's Gas Reserves Close to Exhaustion

Algeria’s natural gas resources are close to exhaustion amid growing usage, which may lead to severe gas shortage in the country, Medafrica Times said in a report citing a study by Saudi-based Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (Apicorp).

Demand is expected to rise from around 30.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2012 to 47.5 bcm in 2020, and 70 bcm in 2030, the report said.

The report explained that looming shortage is the reason behind the government’s late focus on renewable energy and unconventional gas, Medafrica Times said.

Ali Aissaoui, senior consultant at Apicorp and author of the report, said Algeria’s problem remain unsolved by such policies because of the “significant and unsettling shift in the supply and demand of natural gas in Algeria.” He warned that the government should also concentrate on revising domestic pricing and subsidy reforms due to the alarming rise of local demand.