Continental Focus, International Reach

Tunisia Reaches Agreement with Protesters at Petrofac Facility

Monday, September 26, 2016

Tunisia reached a deal with protesters which will see gas production resume at the Chergui field. In protest to UK-based Petrofac’s plans to exit Tunisia, citizens have disrupted gas production since around January with sit ins.

The Chergui provides an estimated 13% of Tunisia’s gas production. Petrofac, through the Chergui venture, officially informed the government in mid-September that it had started shutting down local gas operations; the government is said to be in talks with Petrofac to restart operations.

A ministerial delegation has reached a deal with the protesters to end the sit-in, “Social Affairs Minister Mohamed Trabelsi said. “The agreement is done and everyone has signed.”

The accord, which involves helping 266 young unemployed and creating a local development fund, may be a step to resolving the crisis with Petrofac, which officials say had been demanding guarantees its production would not be disrupted according to a Reuters report.


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