BP concern over fate of Algeria hostages
18 Jan 2013
London – BP has been informed by the UK and Algerian governments that the Algerian army is still attempting to take full control of the In Amenas site, following an attack by terrorists.
The situation, said BP, remained unclear and it continues to seek updates from the authorities – who were subsequently reported as saying that around 30 hostages had died in the rescue effort.
BP remains in close contact with the UK government and colleagues in Statoil, in Sonatrach and in the companies that are contractors to the joint venture.
There is a small number of BP employees at In Amenas whose current location and situation remain uncertain and the company is working with the Algerian government and authorities to confirm their status, BP said 18 Jan.
“Sadly, there have been some reports of casualties but we are still lacking any confirmed or reliable information, said BP. “There are also reports of hostages being released or escaping.”
BP’s group chief executive Bob Dudley added: “Supporting these families is our priority and we are doing all we can to help during this sad and uncertain time,” said . We are in contact with the UK and Algerian Governments and will provide updates as soon as further confirmed information is available.
As a precautionary measure, BP said it had initiated staged plans to bring a group of non-essential workers out of Algeria. Three flights left the country on 17 Jan, carrying a total of 11 BP employees alongside several hundred staff from other companies.
The incident will spark calls for enhanced security measures at energy facilities in Algeria, and elsewhere in the Middle East. It will also raise concerns among Western engineers, who are currently in demand for work on projects in the region.
Petrofac, for instance, was recently awarded a services contract by the In Amenas and In Salah Gas joint ventures – both JVs comprising Sonatrach, BP and Statoil.
Under the three-year contract, Petrofac’s engineering & consulting services (ECS) business is to provide a range of multi-discipline consultancy, design and procurement services.
These activities will support the JVs’ development programme to augment hydrocarbon production at both sites, Petrofac said in a statement issued just days before the attack on the In Amenas gas facility.
Petrofac expected that around 60-80 personnel would be needed to support the contract, with a significant proportion of the services to be delivered from its local engineering centre in Algiers.
