OMV in Tunisia
Tunisia is our regional hub for North Africa, home to large-scale gas developments and emerging renewable and green hydrogen projects.
Our story
Our presence in Tunisia dates to 1971, when the country became the site of our first international exploration and production activities. In the decades that followed, we strengthened our position through targeted acquisitions, including Preussag Energie’s assets in 2003 and the Tunisian subsidiaries of Pioneer Natural Resources in 2011.
Today, Tunisia is the center of our operations in North Africa, with major gas developments and long-standing production activities across the country. It also plays an important role in our energy transition plans.
Our activities
Our operations in Tunisia focus on exploration and production, with a strong emphasis on developing natural gas as a transition fuel.
Nawara
The Nawara Gas production field is our flagship operated asset in Tunisia. Located in the Tataouine region in the south of the country, it plays an important role in strengthening domestic gas supply and reducing reliance on imports. Other operated concessions are utilizing the Nawara Central Processing Facility with the aim of creating a Gas Hub in the south that is connected via a pipeline to the Gas Treatment Plant in Gabès city. The concession is operated as a 50:50 joint venture with Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP), Tunisia’s national oil and gas company.
Waha
Waha concessions are primarily oil-based fields and are also operated by OMV Tunisia in a joint venture with ETAP.
ADAM, BUCHRA, and ABIR
Adam, Buchra, and Abir on the other hand are non-operated concessions with ENI acting as operator on behalf of the joint venture, OMV Tunisia holds 20% share in the concessions.
OMV Tunisia is actively exploring projects in both areas as part of our commitment to diversify our energy mix and progress toward net zero.
Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE)
Our activities in Tunisia are governed by strict health, safety, security and environmental standards, supported by clear procedures and defined responsibilities that ensure regulatory compliance.
ISO Certification: ISO 14001 and ISO 50001
As part of OMV Tunisia’s commitment to Environmental and Energy best practices, and in alignment with the OMV Corporate HSSE Strategy, OMV Tunisia achieved certification as per ISO 14001:2015 in July 2016. In November 2018, OMV Tunisia extended the certification scope to become the first certified oil and gas company in Tunisia as per ISO 5001:2011 requirements for Waha and Tunis Office. In April 2024, 2018 version of ISO 50001 was implemented in OMV Tunisia.
Both ISO certificates are indicative of OMV Tunisia’s commitment to best practice in terms of Environment and Energy standards.
The ISO requirements for “continuous improvement” have assisted a number of improvements to the Branch Office Environment and Energy Management System.
Our impact in Tunisia
Our social responsibility programs in Tunisia are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and focus on employment, education, local content development, and climate action.
Joint Oil Companies’ CSR Program: “RSE Tataouine” (2015 -ongoing)
The Joint Oil Companies CSR Program is a community development program co-funded by OMV in partnership with ENI, ETAP and Tende Energy. The program focuses on promoting Entrepreneurship through small & medium size business funding, iimproving infrastructure in the cultural, health, and education sectors. The main beneficiaries of the project are unemployed, disadvantaged community members, pupils, and the community at large.
Tasharok Project (2020 – ongoing)
In 2020, OMV Tunisia launched its community project “Tasharok” around operations in South Tunisia. “Tasharok”, which means “collaboration” in Arabic, aims at maintaining close and sustainable collaboration with local communities and key stakeholders in Gabès and Tataouine, ultimately improving service to the communities and preserving the social license to operate.
Achievements:
- Provision of medical equipment to public hospitals
- Creating university business Incubator for STEM projects “ENIG Innovation HUB” in partnership with Gabès University
- Launching “SouthLabs Robotics @Schools” with Education authorities in Tataouine and creating 42 clubs at schools of the region
- Improving educational infrastructure like reconstruction of sanitary blocks, providing fully equipped prefabricated classrooms in Gabès
- Support municipality in near operations area in Gabès to improve its waste management services
Partnerships
Our partnerships in Tunisia are led by a local procurement team and delivered in line with OMV’s group-wide standards on ethics, sustainability, and compliance.
Companies interested in working with us must register as potential suppliers through our global procurement platform, SAP Ariba. Full details on becoming an OMV supplier are available in the Supplier Center.
Ethics, governance & compliance
We do business the right way, everywhere we operate. In Tunisia, our activities are carried out in line with local laws and regulations, alongside OMV’s group-wide standards and governance framework.
This includes clear requirements on ethical conduct, compliance, and corporate governance. These are applied consistently across our operations and supported by defined processes, oversight, and accountability.
Get in touch
OMV Tunesien Production
Immeuble Waterside,
Impasse du Lac Turkana
Les Berges Du Lac
1053 Tunis, Tunisia
Phone: +216 (36) 2 62 000
Email: info.tunisia@omv.com