BP has said that it experienced a “security incident” at the In Amenas gas field in Algeria operated by a joint venture of Sontrach, BP and Statoil.
“We can confirm that there has been a security incident this morning at the In Amenas gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria,” said the BP statement released Wednesday. “”The site was attacked and occupied by a group of unidentified armed people at about 0500 UK time. Contact with the site is extremely diffficult, but we understand that armed individuals are still occupying the In Amenas operations site.”
According to a report by Reuters, five Japanese nationals working for JCG Corp were seized alongside a French national. The Irish government has said that an Irishman was kidnapped as well.
RTE.ie, Ireland’s national public service broadcaster has published a statement by the country’s Tanaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore who said, “The Government stands ready to use all the resources available to us to ensure that our citizen is released as soon as possible. I would ask that the family be allowed privacy at this difficult time.”
BP has not confirmed the identity or the intentions of the people occupying the site. According to a report by Reuters, diplomatic and local sources have identified the occupants as jihadists.
Last week Petrofac, was awarded a three-year services contract on the In Ameans field on Algeria’s eastern border with Libya.
The In Amenas is a wet-gas field, operated in partnership between Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, with BP and Statoil. The field is approximately 1300km from Algiers and about 60km west of the Libyan border.
