Algeria, US sign nuclear cooperation accord

ALGIERS, June 9 (Reuters) OPEC-member Algeria signed a nuclear cooperation accord with the United States today to enable the oil and gas exporting country to master nuclear energy for civilian purposes.

Algeria has big uranium deposits and two nuclear research reactors, but has no immediate plans for nuclear power, although the government says nuclear could join renewables sources in the future energy mix as oil and gas resources decline.

It plans to publish a draft law shortly on the use of civilian nuclear power.

Algeria's oil reserves of 11.8 billion barrels will last 23 years and its gas reserves of at least 149,332 billion cubic feet will last 50 years at current production rates.

Under the accord enabling cooperation between US laboratories and nuclear researchers in Algeria, US nuclear officials will work for the next few days with partners from Algeria's Atomic Energy Commission to determine possible future projects of common interest.

Algerian officials have previously said they had planned the accord with Washington to diversify the sources of expertise and advice available to their nuclear programme.

The accord was signed by Algeria's Energy and Mines Secretary General Abbas Faisal.

William H. Tobey, deputy administrator at the US Department of Energy had already signed the so-called ''Sister Lab'' agreement, which a US statement said was ''intended to support the peaceful use of nuclear energy''.

Tobey, not present at the signing ceremony, is a senior US official responsible for preventing the spread of materials, technology, and expertise to do with weapons of mass destruction and eliminating inventories of surplus fissile material.

US Ambassador Robert Ford and a US energy expert attended the signing.

Algeria plans to sign similar agreements with South Africa, which has Africa's only nuclear power plant, and with Egypt.

Its traditional partners are China, which helped supply a 15-megawatt reactor at Ain Ouassara in Algeria's Djelfa region, and Argentina, which helped to build a three megawatt reactor at Draria near Algiers.

Algeria signed a deal with Russia in January 2007 on possible nuclear cooperation. Iran has also offered to share nuclear expertise.

REUTERS RJ RK2104