France’s Total last year agreed to buy ex-Anadarko Africa assets, including around 65,000 b/d of net Algeria output, from Occidental as part of an $8.8bn side deal to the latter’s purchase of Anadarko (MEES, 10 May 2019).

But whilst the key Mozambique part of the deal completed last year, and that for South Africa exploration blocks did so in January, the Algeria assets have become ensnared in the country’s legendary bureaucracy (MEES, 14 February). Ghana has also yet to complete. (CONTINUED - 321 WORDS)