Algeria names new Opec governor

Algeria has appointed senior adviser to the energy ministry Achraf Amine Benhassine as its Opec governor, an Opec+ source told Argus.

As well as his advisory role, Benhassine has been serving as Algeria's national representative to Opec since 2014. His promotion follows the impending departure of Algeria's incumbent Opec governor Mohamed Hamel, who has been named as secretary-general of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

Benhassine's replacement as Algeria's national representative to Opec has yet to be decided, the source said. The country's Opec delegation is led by energy minister Mohamed Arkab.

Benhassine advised during Algeria's Opec presidency last year and was a member of the committee that drew up Opec's declaration of co-operation with a group of non-Opec countries in December 2016, now commonly known as Opec+.

Algeria participates in the Opec+ coalition's Joint Technical Committee (JTC), which examines the market fundamentals that inform output policy, and also in the group's Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), which studies individual members' compliance with their output targets.

Algeria produced 940,000 b/d of crude in October, up by 10,000 b/d compared with September, according to Argus estimates.

By Ruxandra Iordache