Algérie Presse Service (APS) - Feb. 24, 2013
The Tiguentourine natural gas complex was partially put back into operation today by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, after more than one month of stoppage caused by the terrorist attack against the plant last Jan. 16.

The partial restarting of the plant took place in the course of a ceremony observing the dual anniversary of the 1971 nationalization of the hydrocarbon industry and the creation of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) in 1956.

The ceremony was attended by members of the government, the secretary general of the union, and representatives from civil society.

Restarting of operations involved Line 1 of the plant, which had not been impacted during the attack led by about thirty terrorists of various nationalities. The ceremony was also attended by family members of Mohamed Lahmar, the Algerian security agent who gave his life out of his sense of duty and was killed during the terrorist attack.

With a yearly production of 3 billion cubic meters, the line represents 35% of the plant's total capacity (9 billion cubic meters), about 18% of the gas volume exported by Algeria.