Algeria’s Prime Minister Ahmad Ouyahia on 14 November appointed the boards of directors for the new hydrocarbon agencies Agence Nationale pour la Valorization des Resources en Hydrocarbures (Alnaft) and Hydrocarbons Regulatory Authority (HRA). Last week Sid Ali Bitata was appointed as director of Alnaft and Nouredine Cherouati as director of the HRA (MEES, 14 November). Each board of directors is made up of five members and is administratively linked to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM). Alnaft’s board, in addition to Mr Bitata, consists of: Djilali Takherist, Khelil Ouahmad, Hocini Arezki, Bousadra Sid Ali and Nadjet Dali. HRA’s board of directors, in addition to Mr Cherouati, is made up of: Messikh Muhammad Ali, Alouani Rabah Nadir, Naït Muhammad Habib and Bouziane Hocine. The setting up of HRA and Alnaft is part of the implementation of the new hydrocarbon law. Under the supervision of the MEM, the newly-created agencies will submit any new permit attribution to the Council of Ministers for approval.