Delivered by Eng. Hichem Kimouche, DISD Head, on behalf of His Excellency Eng. Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)
Ladies and gentlemen,
Algeria, a founding member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, continues to play a pivotal role in its activities. The most compelling illustration of this leadership was the successful hosting of the 7th GECF Summit of Heads of State and Government in March of last year, under the chairmanship of His Excellency President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. That Summit was a historic milestone—marked by an unprecedented number of participating Heads of State and the unanimous adoption of the landmark Algiers Declaration.
I wish to reiterate the GECF’s gratitude for Alegria’s continued support.
The organisers have invited me to speak on the role of natural gas in the energy transition. Before addressing this important topic, allow me to offer four brief observations to frame our discussion.
First, there is no single, universal energy transition. Transitions differ across countries, shaped by national circumstances, capabilities, and priorities.
Second, history shows that transitions—whether in agriculture, health, or energy—are gradual and complex. They succeed when they improve people’s lives and expand opportunities and are orderly, equitable, affordable, and leave no one behind
Third, energy transitions must be seen within the broader framework of sustainable development. Energy is crucial for economic growth, social progress, and environmental protection. In fact, the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without affordable and reliable energy.
Fourth, hydrocarbons still supply nearly 80% of global primary energy—a share largely unchanged over decades.
In 2024, demand for all major fuels—including coal, oil, gas, and even traditional biomass—reached record highs.
The global energy system is vast and complex. It supplied the equivalent of 285 million barrels of oil in 2024. Yet, 2.1 billion people or almost the fourth of the world population do not have access to clean fuels for cooking and 700 million do not benefit from reliable electricity.
The world will need even more energy in the future. According to GECF projections, global primary energy demand will increase by 18% by 2050, notably in developing countries, underpinned by an additional 1.6 billion people, a doubling of global GDP, and rising living standards worldwide.
These four observations help explain the crucial role of natural gas. Available, affordable, flexible and versatile, it is uniquely well-positioned to meet the growing world energy needs and address the challenges of the energy trilemma of security, affordability and sustainability.
Indeed, natural gas supports clean cooking solutions in low-income countries, improves air quality in megacities, enables emissions reduction through coal-to-gas switching, provides stability and backup to renewable-dependent grids, decarbonizes hard to abate industries, and bolsters food security as a critical feedstock for fertiliser production.
In exporting countries, natural gas is essential for socio-economic development, job creation, value addition, export revenues, and rising living standards.
The GECF projects global natural gas demand to grow by 32% by mid-century, increasing its share in the energy mix from 23% today to 26% in 2050. It is the second fastest growing energy after renewables.
We expect this growth to be even higher due to the recent large expansion of power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers and the competitive advantage of gas power stations: dispatchable, scalable, low upfront costs, easy permitting and low environmental risks.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Technology and innovation have long underpinned the success of the gas industry—but as we look to the future, their role will become even more decisive in securing its relevance, sustainability, and competitiveness.
This is precisely what makes gatherings like the Journées Scientifiques et Techniques so important. There is no better place to affirm this than here in Oran—just a few kilometres from Arzew, where the world’s first commercial LNG plant was built. For decades, Sonatrach has demonstrated leadership in advancing gas technologies. I commend its enduring commitment to excellence across the entire gas value chain—from exploration and production to liquefaction, transport, and processing.
At the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, we are equally committed to promoting technological advancement and capacity building across our Member Countries. The recently established Gas Research Institute, headquartered in Algiers, is mandated to strengthen scientific and technological collaboration among Member Countries through joint research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. It supports innovation across the gas value chain by anticipating emerging technologies, fostering partnerships, and promoting best practices and training.
Among the many emerging technologies shaping the future of energy, let me underline one that stands out as truly transformative: artificial intelligence. AI is transforming the gas value chain—from seismic data interpretation and geological modelling to real-time drilling optimization, advanced reservoir simulation, enhanced production management, and predictive maintenance. The outcomes are compelling: higher exploration success rates, faster and safer drilling, increased recovery rates, enhanced production, and reduced operational costs. AI also plays a critical role in improving safety and reducing environmental impacts, particularly in terms of emissions. These gains are further enhanced by the deployment of digital twins and robots.
However, the journey from pilot projects to full-scale deployment is not without challenges. Nearly 86% of AI initiatives in the energy sector never progress beyond the pilot phase. Overcoming this inertia demands organizational alignment, robust data governance, specialized talent, and clear success metrics.
Moreover, AI adoption carries inherent risks—operational, cybersecurity, financial, regulatory, and reputational. These must be proactively managed to safeguard the long-term viability of AI integration.
At the GECF, we recognize the many benefits that AI may provide. Just last week, we organized a workshop to discuss the current state of play of AI in the oil and gas industry.
We are also aware that AI may widen the digital divide between companies and between nations, particularly between developing and developed countries. We are committed to helping the oil and gas industries of our Member Countries benefit from this transformation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me conclude by affirming that natural gas is not merely a bridge to the future—it is an integral part of that future. As underscored in the Algiers Declaration of the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government, natural gas is recognised as a pivotal energy source for building a just, inclusive, secure, and prosperous world—one in which no one is left behind.
I wish you fruitful discussions and a highly successful edition of the Journées Scientifiques et Techniques.
Thank you.