National primary energy resources (production and royalty) recorded a decline of 0.3% totaling 3.946 million toe (ton of oil equivalent) over the past year, against 3.957 million toe in 2019 and 7.101 million toe in 2010, according to the National Observatory of Energy and Mines (ONEM).
While crude oil production continues its natural decline, natural gas resources have triggered since 2020 a return to growth especially during this year 2021.
According to weekly statistics from ETAP, Tunisian natural gas production from ETAP concessions picked up by 26% in the first seven months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020.
The natural gas production of ETAP concessions will even have to record an all-time high of around 1,800 million Nm3 (normo cubic meter), equivalent to more than 5 million Nm3 per day.
In 2019, ETAP provided 63.9% of national natural gas production (excluding royalty) and 77.2% of crude oil production (ETAP Annual Report).
After an attenuation of 36.2% in 2020, the energy trade balance deficit has reduced by 11.6% in the first seven months of the current year compared to the same period last year.
Now, the energy deficit is no longer the main source of the country’s trade deficit (26.9% in the first seven months of 2021), but comes in third place behind Other Manufacturing Industries (41.6%) and Agri-Food Industries (33.1%).
