ALGERIA · ENERGY
Key Facts
- —The country Algeria is Africa’s largest country by area and a major oil and gas exporter to Europe. Its state company Sonatrach sells crude, pipeline gas and LNG.
- —What happened Energy-industry sources say France asks Algeria to send more oil and LNG as soon as possible; no volume or delivery date is announced.
- —What Algeria can do Algeria can lift oil shipments to France now, while extra LNG is limited by Sonatrach’s long-term contracts with other buyers.
- —The numbers Algerian crude to France reached 138,000 barrels a day in April 2026, about 15% of Algeria’s 903,000 barrels a day of oil exports.
- —The backdrop President Emmanuel Macron tours four Gulf states from 19 to 21 October to secure fuel, as the Strait of Hormuz blockade hits Gulf deliveries.
- —The gas price Europe’s TTF gas benchmark reached US$89.72 per megawatt hour on Tuesday 20 October, against about 32 euros (about US$36) in February.
- —Still open How much Algeria could add, at what price, and whether Sonatrach agrees to any extra LNG before winter.
France asks Algeria for more oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as soon as possible, according to Attaqa, an energy news platform based in Washington. It published the report on Monday 19 October, citing informed sources.
For US readers the request shows how hard Europe hunts for fuel before winter, which supports demand for American LNG. Algeria’s news site TSA repeated the report on Tuesday 20 October.
What the Report Says
Attaqa wrote that Paris contacted Algiers to ask for urgent extra supplies of crude oil and LNG. Its sources linked the request to President Emmanuel Macron’s turn towards the Gulf and other suppliers.
Neither Sonatrach nor Algeria’s Energy Ministry replied to Attaqa’s request for comment. No official figures on extra volumes, prices or delivery dates have been announced.
Oil Can Move Faster Than Gas
According to the sources, Algeria is able to raise oil shipments to France at present and is ready to discuss it. The sources said LNG is harder, because Sonatrach has contract obligations to other customers.
LNG is natural gas cooled into a liquid and carried by tanker, usually under long-term contracts with fixed delivery dates and volumes. Sonatrach, Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas giant, would have to redirect cargoes already promised elsewhere.
Any increase would also depend on exportable volumes, Algerian domestic demand, existing commitments, shipping conditions and international prices. TSA, an Algerian news site, made the same point.
Why Paris Is Asking Now
Macron is touring Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar from Monday 19 October to Wednesday 21 October. The Élysée, the French presidency, announced the trip on 14 October to secure extra diesel and oil for French drivers.
Executives of the French energy groups TotalEnergies and Engie travel with him. Gulf fuel deliveries have been badly hit by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea lane at the mouth of the Gulf.
France can get Algerian oil to its ports quickly, which is what Paris is after. TSA said Europe’s gas price has climbed because stocks are low ahead of winter.
The Dutch TTF benchmark reached US$89.72 per megawatt hour on Tuesday 20 October, against about 32 euros (about US$36) in February, before the Iran war. That is more than double the February level, measured in the same unit.
How Much Algerian Oil France Already Buys
Attaqa’s research unit counted 138,000 barrels a day of Algerian oil going to France in April 2026, up from 43,000 in March. That made France about 15% of Algeria’s 903,000 barrels a day of exports, ahead of South Korea, Spain, the United States and Italy.
From January to April 2026, Algerian oil to France averaged about 95,000 barrels a day, up 3.4% from 92,000 a year earlier. Algeria also feeds Europe with gas, as the Rio Times described in its report on Algeria’s gas exports to Europe.
What It Means for US Readers
When France asks Algeria for fuel, it competes for cargoes that other buyers also want, which keeps prices firm. American LNG exporters can gain from the European scramble, as the Rio Times described in its analysis of Europe’s thin winter gas stocks.
Investors in energy stocks and in TotalEnergies and Engie shares should watch whether the Gulf tour brings firm volumes. A signed Algerian deal would show Europe turning to nearby North African suppliers, not only to the Gulf and the United States.
What Is Not Known
Nobody has said how much oil or LNG France wants, when it would arrive, or what price Paris would pay. Sonatrach and the Energy Ministry have not commented on the contact.
It is also unclear whether Algeria will agree, and how it would balance French demand against its existing European customers. The protests over living costs in Algeria that TSA mentions have not been linked to any change in exports.
More: Algeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did France ask Algeria for more oil and gas?
Attaqa, citing informed sources, reported on Monday 19 October that France asks Algeria for more oil and LNG as soon as possible. The report quotes no official from either government.
Can Algeria send France more oil?
According to the sources, Algeria can raise oil shipments to France now and is ready to discuss it. Algerian crude to France already reached 138,000 barrels a day in April.
Why is extra gas harder to supply?
Sonatrach sells most of its LNG under long-term contracts with set volumes and delivery dates. Redirecting cargoes to France would mean reworking commitments to other buyers.
Why does France need more energy now?
France asks Algeria and other suppliers for fuel because Gulf fuel deliveries have been badly hit by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Macron is visiting four Gulf states from 19 to 21 October to secure more.
What does this mean for American readers?
A scramble for fuel in Europe keeps energy prices high and raises demand for US LNG cargoes. It also shows the weight of Algeria as a supplier close to Europe.
Sources: Attaqa (Energy Research Unit), 19 October 2026; TSA Algérie, 20 October 2026; Fortuneo (Élysée announcement of Macron’s Gulf tour), 14 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error