BP Puts Pressure on Algeria's Energy Industry

Algeria's government is under pressure to revise its restrictive foreign energy investment laws after BP announced May 2 that it is considering delaying certain energy projects in the country's natural gas-rich but increasingly insecure southern regions. Citing the attack in January at the Ain Amenas natural gas processing facility, BP CEO Robert Dudley said his company had growing concerns about Algeria's security situation. Although security is an issue, BP's primary goal is to use the security threat and changes in the global energy market to push the Algerian government, which is in growing need of foreign investment and technology, to ease regulations.