Hassi Messaoud

Hassi Messaoud is in the center of the Algérie in the Wilaya of Ouargla. Its population is approximately 53.000 inhabitants (without counting the residents in the bases of life of the various companies and those of the Bidonville S). The city is largely turned towards the exploitation of the reservoir oil.

Geographical location

Located at 850 km in the south of is of Algiers and to 80 km in the South-east of Ouargla.

Will the city move?

The transfer, within the framework of the delocalization of the town of Hassi Messaoud for safety reasons (risks related to the extraction pétroliére), will be done initially for the inhabitants of the shantytowns, of illegal constructions and of the precarious habitat, the wali of Ouargla declared, Ahmed Melfouf, on the waves of the National radio. It specified that this transfer will concern 505 families (306 families of the shantytowns, 91 families of the precarious habitats and 108 families of illegal constructions).

“The census of these families was made and blocked with its current location”, added, on this subject, the Wali of Ouargla. Within this framework, an envelope of 500 million dinars was released by the ministry for the Habitat within the framework of the Southern Funds special for the construction of 540 residences and of all the equipment of accompaniment, that is to say elementary school, administrative antenna, a shopping mall, a gendarmerie squad and a unit of Civil protection.

The beginning of the initial work of this whole in the site selected (located at 40 km of Hassi Messaoud and being spread out over 100 ha) is planned for this first quarter 2006, according to Mr. Melfouf. Three sites were retained by an interdepartmental council for the realization of the future town of Hassi Messaoud. Thus, in addition to the site reserved for the reception of the families of the shantytowns, illegal constructions and the precarious habitat, a place is designed to accommodate the future news city and another is reserved for the zone of industrial activity (200 ha).

To recall that the seat of the chief town of Hassi Messaoud (the new city) will be transferred to Oued El Mareâ, a locality located at 100 km of Touggourt. To announce that the wali of Ouargla estimated that the finalization of the project could require an envelope higher than that freed by the public authorities (50 billion Dinars, note). Which will be the future of the old town of Hassi Messaoud? According to the Wali, “this one will be put at the service of its mission first, that is to say the exploitation of the Pétrole and the Gaz”.

Rabah Beldjenna Elwatan January 2006

Oil king

Hassi Messaoud, a locality in the desert vastness of the the Sahara, left anonymity in June 1956.

This year, the war of Algeria made rage. The French company SN Repal discovers oil in the area. The first well bears the name of MD1. This discovery was going to upset gives it political time and will make harden the repression of the colonial army against the population which gave its support for the Front of national release (FLN),

Into full Cold war between the the United States and the Soviet Union, the France saw in the discovery of the Pétrole in the the Algerian Sahara an aubaine to affirm its energy independence with respect to both superpuissances of the time. The negotiations of Evian will be hard after De Gaulle had posted her will to keep the the Sahara in the French bosom. But finally the partisans of the division of the Algérie will be overcome and Hassi Messaoud will continue to produce oil which will be nationalized in February 1971.

More than Fifty years later, MD1 always continues to produce oil. But the locality became a sprawling town with the anarchistic expansion.

Independence of the country until in 1985, Hassi Messaoud carried Center name industrial Saharan (CIS). This last was managed by the Sonatrach and the companies parapétrolières which activated in all the area.

In 1985, the public authorities, the sole party, the Face of national release, at the head, decided within the framework of a new cutting administrative to set up Hassi Messaoud in an Popular communal assembly (Apc). Blow, the Saharan industrial Center built on the most important oil layer of the country was going to be managed like any other commune of the country. With time, Hassi Messaoud will not escape the anarchy which characterizes the management of the communes and where the land one, town planning and the environmental pollution comes at the head from the serious problems arising currently. The population of Hassi Messaoud, listed officially, will be multiplied by five in the eleven years space. At the time of the general census of the population and habitat (Rgph) of 1987, the population resident was only of 8.300 people. At the time of Rgph of 1998, it passes to nearly 38.000 inhabitants. It is clear that in this census those are not included which live the city and which are not listed like residents

Source the new republic November 2004

Gold rush Black

It begins really on January 7th 1958, at the exact moment when the valves of the bulk storage tanks of Hassi-Messaoud open without ceremony: for the first time since it spouted out entrails of the ground (1956), oil runs in the provisional pipeline which will lead it, after a voyage 180 kilometers, until Touggourt, place of transit for the metropolis.

Thus, the miracle occurred. The Sahara ceases being the symbol of absolute sterility, the hell of thirst and majestic desolation, to become the source of an insane hope: that to see our country finally reaching the Energy independence.

Seventeen months were passed since fantastic discovered which cost the life Jean Riemer, the first martyr of the Saharan oil adventure. Seventeen months which saw a new universe emerging below it 32e parallel and hustling millenia of loneliness.

Hassi-Messaoud confirms the richnesses of the basement that Edjelé, on the Libyan border, already let foresee. Nobody can forecast importance of the layer yet; but of the fabulous figures are advanced.

At this beginning of year, nine wells are in a state of productivity: four on the license of C.F.P.A. (Ouargla): OM 1, OM 6, OM 7, OM 81, and five on that of REPAL (Elf) (Wadi-Mya): MANDELEVIUM 1, the " well of discovered the " , with which its historical importance is worth to be carefully latticed, MANDELEVIUM 1,3,4 and 5.

The extent of the delimited tablecloth exceeds already 800 km ². By an unforeseen whim of nature, its exploitation is harmoniously distributed between the two companies which also divide the rich person sandpie. Twelve other probes, in the perimeter (only one drilling totals 600 million!) excavate the ground with more than 3000 meters of depth.

Since the MANDELEVIUM 1 trepan reached the impregnated sandstones in June 1956, the material did not cease flowing towards the old well of the camel drivers.

The layer, located at an average depth of 3300 meters, has, says one, a useful thickness of 80 meters. The reasonable forecasts of the technicians let hope for an annual production of 5 million tons to the end of the year, of 9,5 million tons in 1960, to reach 14 million tons in 1962.

But if all drillings undertaken appear productive, it is a layer of a richness comparable with those of the Middle East which France will have discovered in its African desert.

Some advance that the billion tons could be exceeded! What to satisfy the needs for the metropolis until approximately 1980…

Beyond the high plateaus of the Atlas blidéen, in a lunar landscape from where seems excluded any source from life, Hassi-Messaoud seems a mirage. An orange point scintillates on the sapphire horizon, takes volume, becomes blazing hair: it is the flare which spits its volutes towards the sky, giving to the atmosphere iridescent forms.

Visible since the oasis of Ouargla, to 80 km more in north, it lights, the come night, of a perpetual gold light the last born of the French cities. Most astonishing also, in its silica ECRIN.

For the time being, Hassi-Messaoud counts 1.500 inhabitants. A white father come from Touggourt builds there a vault and twelve tradesmen, obvious out of pocket, wait to settle along the large asphalted by-pass which one builds at rate accelerated with modern means

Between the metropolises of oil and North, a hyphen, the Breguet double-decker which is posed regularly each day. The pioneers have need to live of 50 tons food products per week.

While waiting for this one, by the track, partly tarred, the truck drivers brought, in record time, the 700 fed cabins which equip the bases with the two companies.

Layouts with the chalk line, both " districts " city are distant of about fifteen kilometers. S.N.REPAL (Elf), it is the series of MANDELEVIUM, C.F.P.A. (Total), that of the OM.

These cities built in record time crossed sands in spare parts, on the back of enormous trucks. It was then the golden age of the truck drivers. Then that came from hotel…

Halfway, the administrative center draws up its buildings, around an already historical monument: the white curbstone whose dome was used at one time as reference mark to the caravaneers. The well is intact. But the bottom, drained, is nothing any more but dust, on which to lie an empty sardine box. Between the station of gendarmerie and the powerplant, the administrative Section specialized, installed in July 1957, acted as town hall.

On the spot, of bakeries, a factory of lemonade were built with haste, in front of the needs increasingly more pressing. The two town halls désemplissent never and already appear too small.

Twenty-eight years of average age: inter alia characteristics, Hassi-Messaoud presents that to be the youngest city of the World. But it is curiously a city without women. The only feminine voices which resound in the oasis are those of the rare ones visitors and of the operators who maintain, from Algiers, a permanent listening with the Saharan center.

Poetically, the tankers of the C.F.P.A. baptized their camp Maison- Vertet. Although they started one year after their colleagues of REPAL (Elf), their base presents a finished aspect, spectacular, which never leaves astonish. House-green, model village, has its public garden, its swimming pool, its theater, her coffees, her post office, its newsstand.

Shrubs, rose laurels, flowers, palm trees, eucalypti. For the first time, the old myth of the fertile desert becomes reality. In a few years, one will cultivate even oats there! Triumph over the technique tested by French scientists whom will take again, in Negev, Israelis themselves.

A water fallen at time from Charlemagne

Thanks to the sky, the basement of Hassi-Messaoud contains also water. A well drilled in " the Gault " , to 1.300 m, makes it spout out so hot, with 60°, that it should be cooled. This water, calculated the geologists, comes from rains infiltrating very slowly in the ground and is entirely renewed every 1.200 years. As much to say that our pioneers water themselves of a water fallen at time from Charlemagne!

Freely inspired of an article of Historia-Magazine, n°224/April 31st, 17th and th 1972 thank you in Bernard Venis.

1983 the mushroom town

In 1983, the Sonatrach company of Algerian oils, makes the bet install in Hassi Messaoud its frameworks based in Algiers. Sonatrach decides to make build 1850 houses in a basin of 100 hectares located to a few km of the center of Hassi Messaoud.

Two French companies VB (villas BENBAKIR) and S.C.T.P. Central Company of Public works based with Bourges - Saint-Doulchard is titular market.

These two companies install their base-life in the very ready desert of the shantytowns (truths those which are done with oil cans filled with sand).

During three years these two companies will completely build each one 925 houses in the style of the suburban houses of the French big cities and that whereas alteration work of the zone (roadway system, drainage system,…) whose realization were to remain local ever were really completed.

More information here.

Equipment

Health sector

Hospital
6 Pharmacies

Equipment of the collective services

Police station in the west
National police
Civil protection
Customs

Sector Youth and sport

general sports Room
Football stadium

Sector Culture

Arts center

Airport IRARA to 20 km in the east

External bonds

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/alger-roi.net/alger/sahara/textes/hassi_messaoud_hm224.htm
http://www.algerie-dz.com/article1578.html
http://sctp-algerie.blogspot.com/
Airport of Hassi Messaoud

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