Tunisia enjoys a strategic location in the southern central Mediterranean, bridging the continents of Europe and Africa.
With its progressive and democratic regime, the country is recognised by the EIU’s ‘2018 Democracy Index’ as being one of the two democratic countries in the MENA region. It enjoys a ‘Privileged Partnership’ with the EU and is described as “a strong partner of the United States” by the US State Department.
Tunisia’s hydrocarbon industry is ‘open for business’
| Fiscal/regulatory environment | • Progressive, democratic regime • Stable government and operating environment • No local taxation • Conventional royalty structure |
| Existing hydrocarbon industry | • Production since 1966 • Good infrastructure • Long-standing foreign investors include Shell (BG Group), ENI, OMV • ETAP promotes hydrocarbon sector and manages interests on behalf of state |
| Production-consumption imbalance | • Crude oil production of 36,000 bopd (2018) – approximately one-third of the volume of refined oil consumed in 2016 • Natural gas production of 204 MMcfd (2018) – less than half the volume of gas consumed in 2017 |