Occidental Energy has officially notified Total that the French major cannot acquire Anadarko's oil and gas assets in Algeria, as Algerian authorities have blocked the sale in the country. The US energy company will continue to operate the assets, unless it can find a way to sell it to Total.
In May 2019, Occidental Energy took over Anadarko and agreed to sell Anadarko’s assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa to Total for US$8.8bn. In Algeria, Anadarko held two blocks (404a and 208) and a 24.5% stake in the Berking basin (Hassi Berkine, Ourhoud and El Merk fields), in which Total already owns 12.25%. These assets are producing around 260,000 bbl/d, i.e. nearly 25% of the total crude oil production in the country. In December 2019, Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach decided to exert its pre-emption right on Anadarko's interests in Algeria, blocking the sale of those assets to Total, as agreed in May 2019. According to the Ministry of Energy, the sale of Anadarko's assets in Algeria to Total is incompatible with the new energy law that bans majority foreign ownership in hydrocarbons projects.