Tunis — "Shell Tunisia company is to drill, in 2013, 4 oil wells in the central region, with an amount worth 150 million dollars (250 billion dinars)", said on Saturday in Tunis, Industry Minister Mohamed Lamine Chakhari.

After his meeting with Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and deputy-chairman of Shell Tunisia for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Mounir Bouaziz, the Minister added that the meeting was an occasion to discuss the Shell's working programme, the exploitation prospects by the company and the exploration licence in the region of Kairouan, to be signed shortly."

In turn, Mr. Mounir Bouaziz underlined the final location of these wells, presently scheduled in Kairouan, Sousse, El Jem and North Sfax, will be identified after the prospecting operations", adding in this connection, the new techniques in America will be used for the first time in Tunisia and in the MENA region."

"This investment will provide jobs to the labour force and to the small Tunisian companies," he went on saying. The official emphasised Shell International's will, settled in Tunisia since 1920, to further invest in Tunisia.