Statoil works to ensure safety of hostages

Algerian Ministry of Energy & Mines

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By Luke Johnson & news reports

 16 January 2013 21:30 GMT

Norwegian giant Statoil said it is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of its employees and provided more details on a developing situation in Algeria in which Islamic militants took dozens of people hostage at the In Amenas gas-production facility.

Lars Christian Bacher, Statoil's executive vice president of international development & production said the company is doing its "utmost to ensure the safety of our employees and support their families".

He stressed that the situation is "unclear, complicated and very demanding".

"The hostage situation at In Amenas is one of the most serious incidents we have had in Statoil," Bacher said.

He said 17 Statoil employees were in or around the facility Wednesday morning when several armed gunman attacked In Amenas, which Statoil operates through a joint venture with UK supermajor BP and Algerian…

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