TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy have jointly secured the Ahara oil and gas licence in Algeria’s latest licensing round—the country’s first since the introduction of a new hydrocarbons law in December 2019. The Ahara block, covering nearly 14,900 square kilometers, is situated at the convergence of the Berkine and Illizi basins.
The award represents a key strategic expansion for both companies in North Africa. During the exploration and appraisal phases, TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy will each hold a 24.5% stake, while Algeria’s state oil company, Sonatrach, retains the majority 51% interest as mandated by national legislation.
“This award allows us to write a new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Sonatrach,” said Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies. The company is already active in Algeria’s upstream and LNG sectors, including interests in the Tin Fouye Tabankort and Timimoun gas fields, as well as oil blocks in the Berkine Basin.
Algeria’s 2024 licensing round, the first in a decade, offered six exploration sites and attracted 41 companies, signaling a strong revival of international interest. The round kicks off a five-year series of planned bid rounds aimed at boosting foreign investment and exploration activity under the new, more investor-friendly Law 13-19, which replaced the previous, more restrictive framework established in 2005. By comparison, the last licensing round in 2014 awarded just four blocks out of 31 offered.
The award of the Ahara licence reflects renewed confidence in Algeria’s energy sector and reinforces the deepening collaboration between Sonatrach and international partners amid growing interest in North African hydrocarbon resources.
