Nouakchott, 29 June 2025
As part of the strengthening relations of bilateral cooperation between Algeria and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in the energy sector , the Chairman & CEO of the SONATRACH Group , Mr. Rachid HACHICHI made, today, a work visit to Nouakchott, accompanied by a high-level delegation of Senior executives of the Group. This visit is part of the impetus to implement the axes of the letter of intent signed with Mauritanian hydrocarbon company in January 2025.
The program began with a working meeting between Mr. HACHICHI and his Mauritanian counterpart, Mr. Ismaïl Abdel Fattah, Director General of the Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company, in the presence of His Excellency the Algerian Ambassador to Mauritania, Mr. Amine SAID. Discussions focused on ways to develop bilateral cooperation, explore investment opportunities, and exchange expertise in the areas of exploration, production, transportation, oil services, and training.
On this occasion, Mr. HACHICHI emphasized that this meeting was part of the monitoring of the implementation of the strategic priorities of the letter of intent, particularly in the area of training. He specified that a number of Mauritanian executives and engineers had already started their training at the Algerian Petroleum Institute, expressing SONATRACH’s readiness to welcome more Mauritanian engineers into its production units in order to expand their skills and field experience.
The CEO of SONATRACH also discussed the study underway for the creation of a joint venture to distribute and trade petroleum products in Mauritania, while reasserting the group’s commitment to meeting the needs of the Mauritanian hydrocarbons company, particularly through technical support across the entire value chain. He emphasized the group’s readiness for any any form of cooperation based on the “win-win” principle.
For his part, Mr. Ismaïl ABDEL FATTAH praised the level of cooperation between the two parties and expressed satisfaction with the results of the training provided by SONATRACH for Mauritanian engineers. He also discussed several projects currently under consideration with SONATRACH, including the creation of a joint venture for gas exploration in the coastal basin, another for the distribution and marketing of petroleum products, as well as other cooperation projects covering the entire hydrocarbons sector value chain. He said the visit would give new impetus to energy relations between the two brother countries. At the end of the meeting, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed for the oil fields, governing the exchange of technical data and information related to the exploration phase. This represents an important milestone toward establishing an effective partnership based on trust and common interests. The first day of the visit also included a field visit to the oil logistics bases and facilities located in the Nouakchott port area, where Mr. Hachichi and his delegation were able to tour existing infrastructures and closely assess the Mauritanian partner’s logistical and technical capacities.