This development reflects a 66% increase in value of exports of energy products, in parallel with an increase in imports in value of 77%, specifies the Observatory in its monthly report on the energy situation.
The observatory indicates that commercial exchanges in the energy sector are very sensitive to three factors, namely the quantities exchanged, the dollar/dinar exchange rate and the price of Brent.
Thus, the exchange rate deteriorated, the price of Brent rose sharply and the quantitative trade balance deficit recorded a decrease of 4% at the end of September 2022 compared to the end of September 2021, noted the same source.
In addition, crude oil production in Tunisia stood at 1,248 kilotonnes (kt) at the end of September 2022, down 13% compared to the same period last year.
This drop affected, according to the Observatory, most of the main fields, namely Halk el Manzel which v (-64%), Baraka (-65%), Adam (-22%), Cherouq (-21%), MLD (-17%), El borma (-8%), Hasdrubal (-7%), Cercina (-17%) and Nawara (-6%).
Other fields recorded, on the other hand, an improvement in production, namely Gherib (+111%), Franig/Bag/Tarfa (+16%) and Ashtart (+1%), specifies the same source.
The daily average of oil production fell from 40.4 thousand barrels/d at the end of September 2021 to 35.5 thousand barrels/d at the end of September 2022.
Natural gas resources (national production + tax package) reached 2,181 ktoe at the end of September 2022, thus recording a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, notes the Observatory.