Algeria launched a long-anticipated bid round this week, putting 31 blocks on offer after careful preparations that included a new hydrocarbon law and an extensive marketing drive.

The blocks encompass acreage seen as prospective for both conventional and unconventional discoveries, according to state regulator Alnaft, with the government keen to reverse declining production – especially from the country’s key mature fields – with substantial increases in output over the next decade. (CONTINUED - 1325 WORDS)