Sellal, Moniz discuss cooperation between US oil companies and Sonatrach

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal met Wednesday in Washington with US Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz at the end of his visit to the United States where he attended the first US.-Africa Leaders Summit.
The discussions between Sellal and Moniz, attended by Minister of Industry and Mines Abdessalam Bouchouareb and Minister of Energy Youcef Yousfi, as well as Ambassador of Algeria to Washington Abdallah Baali, focused on ways to strengthen energy cooperation between American oil companies and Sonatrach.
Moniz will travel to Algeria in September for further discussion on partnership projects envisaged in the field of natural gas, he told APS after his meeting with Prime Minister.
Moniz also said having discussed with the Prime Minister the opportunity to accompany Algeria in the implementation of energy efficiency programs, noting that the partnership with Algeria should help the country to grow and also allow American companies to do business.
Shortly before, the Prime Minister received CEO of Anadarko Al Walker which operates in partnership with Sonatrach, large deposits of Berkin in Illizi.
Al Walker said on the sidelines of the interview that his group was interested in the program increased exploration of hydrocarbons that Sonatrach is currently undertaking to increase its reserves, displaying his willingness to take on projects of offshore exploration and unconventional hydrocarbons.
The Prime Minister also met with Dow Wilson, CEO of Varian Medical Systems, with whom he discussed the purchase of radiation therapy system in Algeria to improve the care of cancer patients.
He stressed in his discussions with Dow Wilson on Algeria’s needs in the maintenance of equipment and staff training.
Sellal on Thursday multiplied meetings with leaders of the American economic sector, as he received CEO of Air Products and Chemicals, Seifi Ghasemi, whose group is the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen and helium.
Air Products and Chemicals is the world’s leader suppliers of the high-growth markets with semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, coal gasification and liquefaction of natural gas.
For his part  Bouchouareb, spoke with Martin Richehagen, Director for Africa and Middle East of the AGCO group, which owns the brand Massey Ferguson, one of the top tractor brands in the world and a major player in the global harvest.
Massey Fergusson, present in Algeria since 2013, has produced 1,000 tractors last year and aims to raise production in Algeria in 2014 to 2000, and its development Plan eyes to export part of its production to neighboring countries.
Bouchouareb explained to Martin Richehagen that the Algerian market is very promising but that each new investment must involve the Algerian sub-contractors.