Algeria’s state-owned energy company Sonatrach has awarded a consultancy contract to UK-based Amec Foster Wheeler for de-bottlenecking at Hassi R’Mel, the country’s biggest oil and gas field.

“The engineering design services involve a major flow assurance exercise using Amec Foster Wheeler’s proprietary software to identify future bottlenecks in the gas field gathering network,” the company said in a statement that was released on 12 August.

“In addition, the team will undertake detailed pipeline design, compression studies and the multi-disciplined specification of the additional infrastructure required to allow continued production.”

The value of the consultancy contract has not been announced.

Algeria is currently looking to reverse falling gas and oil production.

In July 2014 the country announced plans to invest $100bn in the country’s energy sector before 2020.

The North African country has struggled to increase interest from international oil companies due to security problems and restrictive legislation.

Only four oil and gas blocks were awarded, out of a possible 31, in its most recent licensing round, held in September 2014.