Tunisia’s fuel consumption increased by 35% in July 2011, compared to the same period of 2010, Khaled Kaddour, Managing Director of Energy at the Ministry of Industry and Technology said Thursday.
The official added, at the regular press conference held at the Prime Ministry, that the disruption in consumption recorded in some regions of the South (increase in demand by more than 15 times), are essentially due to sit-ins observed in several oil companies.
He said that the supply of these regions is made by oil companies located in Northern regions which increases transportation and safety costs.
The official attributed the drop in the consumption of diesel by 19% compared to last year to the decline in the use of heavy equipment and cessation of activities of firms and plants that use this product after the Revolution.
The sit-ins delayed projects planned for 2011, he said. Thus, six exploration wells were drilled out of 14 wells planned and only 4 extension wells were completed out of 14 wells planned, which affected the production.
Khaled Kaddour said that the interruption of the project designed to supply the city of Gafsa and the mining basin with natural gas is due to sit-ins, calling, in this framework, to improve the security situation and to adopt a policy of dialogue to end the sit-ins.
