TUNISIA · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —What is happening A ministerial order published on Friday, 23 October 2026 gives EXXOIL SA 100% of the El Menzah oil concession in Tunisia, taking over the rights of two earlier holders.
- —Why it matters The order moves a full production licence into one company’s hands without a public price, which is a concrete ownership change in a country that imports much of its energy.
- —The numbers The concession covers 28 square kilometres (about 10.8 square miles), and the ministry’s end-2023 list showed EXXOIL at 25% and Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia at 75%.
- —Who is who EXXOIL SA is the new holder; ETAP is Tunisia’s state oil company; Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia Limited is a private holder; Slah Zouari signed as interim minister.
- —What to watch Watch whether the ministry, ETAP or EXXOIL publish the order text, deal terms or a production plan, none of which had appeared by Saturday, 24 October.
- —What it means for you No US company is named in the order, so US investors gain no direct exposure; travellers should note that the State Department rates Tunisia Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution.
Tunisia’s energy ministry has let one company, EXXOIL SA, take over a whole oil licence. The order was published on Friday, 23 October.
EXXOIL SA now holds 100% of the El Menzah oil concession in Tunisia, under an order published on Friday, 23 October 2026. The state oil company ETAP and Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia Limited gave up their rights, La Presse de Tunisie reported.
A concession is a government licence to produce oil and gas from a named area for a fixed period. The El Menzah licence covers 28 square kilometres (about 10.8 square miles) and expires on 27 November 2030, the ministry’s list shows.
The Tunisian business site Espacemanager carried the same decision on Friday, with the same dates and names. Neither report gives a price, a production figure or a reason for the transfer.
In Plain English
- Concession: a state licence to produce oil and gas from one area.
- EXXOIL SA: the company that now holds the whole El Menzah licence.
- ETAP: Tunisia’s state oil company, which agreed to the transfer.
- JORT: the Official Journal, where Tunisian ministerial orders are published.
What the Tunisia Oil Concession Order Says
The order authorises the full transfer of the rights and obligations of ETAP and Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia Limited to EXXOIL SA. Slah Zouari signed it as the minister in charge on a temporary basis of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.
Both outlets say the order appeared in the Official Journal of the Tunisian Republic, known as JORT, on Friday. The Rio Times could not open the JORT site, so the order text and its issue number remain unread.
The order amends an earlier ministerial order of Saturday, 18 November 2000, which created the concession. EXXOIL SA is described as becoming the holder of the El Menzah concession to the extent of 100%.
How the Request Moved Through Government
EXXOIL SA filed its request with the General Directorate of Hydrocarbons on Thursday, 18 January 2024. ETAP agreed to the request in a letter dated Tuesday, 3 September 2024.
The Hydrocarbons Advisory Committee, known by its French initials CCH, gave a favourable opinion at a meeting on Friday, 27 September 2024. The order was published about two years after that opinion, and the reports do not explain the gap.
The reports also quote a phrase about “non-participation” in the development and production of the field. The French wording does not make clear whose non-participation is meant, so this article does not draw a conclusion from it.
Who Held the El Menzah Concession Before
The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy publishes a yearly list of production concessions, and its end-2023 edition shows 56 in force. On that list El Menzah is held 75% by Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia Limited and 25% by EXXOIL, with no ETAP line.
The order as reported names ETAP and Ecumed as the parties handing over their rights. The exact split just before the order is therefore unclear, and the Rio Times has not seen a later ministry list.
The same ministry list shows EXXOIL SA holding 70% of the Beni Khaled concession in the Cap Bon area. Circle Oil Tunisia Limited holds the other 30% of that 60 square kilometre (about 23 square mile) licence, expiring 10 May 2031.
The Tunisian reports and the ministry list do not tie EXXOIL SA to the US oil major Exxon Mobil. Readers should treat the similar name as a coincidence of spelling unless a filing shows otherwise.
What It Means for US Readers
No US company is named in the order, and no link to a US oil major appears in the Tunisian reports. For US investors the news is a change of ownership inside Tunisia, not a new discovery or a new foreign investment.
Without a price, a production figure or a work programme, the order gives no way to judge what the licence is worth. US oil and gas readers who track North African supply should treat this as a licensing record, not a supply signal.
Travellers are not affected by the order itself. The US State Department rates Tunisia Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, in an advisory last updated on 4 June 2026.
What Is Not Known
The price, any payment to the state and the terms of the transfer have not been published. It is also not known who owns EXXOIL SA or why ETAP and Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia chose to give up their rights.
Current oil output from the El Menzah concession is not stated in the order reports or on the ministry list. The ministry list gives the area and holders but no production figure.
The Rio Times has not read the order itself, because the JORT site would not open, and found no ministry statement. The signing date, the issue number and the status of the 2030 expiry date therefore remain unconfirmed.
What Comes Next
Watch for the 23 October JORT issue to be posted, for a ministry or ETAP statement, and for an EXXOIL work programme. A later edition of the ministry’s concession list would show the new ownership split.
The order does not by itself raise oil output or change Tunisia’s energy bill. It only changes who holds the licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is EXXOIL SA?
EXXOIL SA is a company that holds 25% of El Menzah and 70% of Beni Khaled on the ministry’s end-2023 list. Its owners have not been named in the reports.
What is the El Menzah concession?
It is a state licence to produce hydrocarbons from a 28 square kilometre (about 10.8 square mile) area. A ministerial order of 18 November 2000 created it, and the ministry list gives its expiry as 27 November 2030.
What changed on 23 October 2026?
A ministerial order published that day authorised the full transfer of ETAP’s and Ecumed Petroleum Grombalia’s rights to EXXOIL SA. EXXOIL now holds 100% of the concession.
Is EXXOIL linked to Exxon Mobil?
The Tunisian reports and the ministry list show no such link. The similar name does not by itself mean any connection.
Does this change oil supply or prices?
No output, price or investment figure was published, so the order gives no basis for a supply or price effect. It records a change of ownership.
Sources: La Presse de Tunisie, 23 October 2026; Espacemanager, 23 October 2026; Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, production concessions at end 2023; US State Department travel advisory (all accessed 24 October 2026).
Connected Coverage Related Rio Times reports are Tunisia Explained, Tunisia Geopolitics Explained and the central bank rate decision and energy imports. City readers can also see What to Do in Tunis in October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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