Naftal is the principal company selling petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

-based fuels for domestic consumption in Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

; its gas stations are a familiar sight throughout the country. Founded in 1982 by government decree, it was responsible for refining and distribution until 1987. In 1998, it became a subsidiary of Sonatrach

Sonatrach

Sonatrach is an Algerian government-owned company formed to exploit the hydrocarbon resources of the country. Its diversified activities cover all aspects of production: exploration, extraction, transport, and refining...

. It employs about 30,000 workers, and has about 10,000 gas stations (as of 2005.)