Trans-Med gas pipeline
Encyclopedia
The Trans-Med gas pipeline supplies natural gas
from Tunisia
to Italy
by way of Sicily. In 1995, its capacity reached 24 bcm per year. In the fall of 1997, a terrorist attack severed the pipeline in Algeria for five days. On February 28, 2010, a new 549 km section was completed in Bir El Ater, Tebessa Province
, which was expected to increase transport capacity to 7 billion cubic meters a year. The pipeline was listed under the Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative
by the United States in a diplomatic cable leaked to Wikileaks
.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by way of Sicily. In 1995, its capacity reached 24 bcm per year. In the fall of 1997, a terrorist attack severed the pipeline in Algeria for five days. On February 28, 2010, a new 549 km section was completed in Bir El Ater, Tebessa Province
Tébessa Province
Tébessa is a province of Algeria. Tébessa is also the name of the capital, which in ancient times it was known as Theveste. Another important city is El Ouenza.Tebessa is located only 20 kilometers west from Tunisia border....
, which was expected to increase transport capacity to 7 billion cubic meters a year. The pipeline was listed under the Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative
Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative
The Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative is a strategy and list, maintained by the United States Department of Homeland Security, of foreign infrastructure which "if attacked or destroyed would critically impact the U.S." A copy of the 2008 list was redacted and leaked by WikiLeaks on 5...
by the United States in a diplomatic cable leaked to Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
.