Saipem’s share price fell by as much as 25% yesterday, after Europe’s biggest oil industry services group gave its second major profit warning in less than six months due to problems with contracts in Algeria, Mexico and Canada.

The gas plant at Amenas is giving up its secrets as Algerian special forces picking their way through the vast complex find dozens of bodies, some charred beyond recognition in the bloody end-game to one of the worst hostage crises in years.

An Algerian security official said de-mining squads searching for explosives have found “numerous” bodies at a gas refinery where Islamic militants took dozens of foreign workers hostage.

British, Spanish and Norwegian oil companies were evacuating workers from Algerian energy facilities today following the hostage-taking by Islamic militants in the Sahara desert and Algeria’s attempt to free them.

An Irishman is among up to 41 oil workers believed to have been kidnapped by al Qaeda-affiliated group at a gas field in Algeria.

An Irish man who was kidnapped along with a group of colleagues in Algeria is a 36-year-old Irish passport holder who is a resident of Northern Ireland.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has today called for the immediate release of an Irish citizen who is reported to have been among a group of oil workers kidnapped in Algeria this morning.

Petroceltic — the Dublin- headquartered oil and gas exploration firm — has received formal final regulatory approval for the development of the Isarene/Ain Tsila gas field in Algeria.

Petroceltic has reported a pre-tax loss of $3.25 million (€2.6m) for the first half of 2012; shaving almost $1m off losses generated in the corresponding period last year.

Irish exploration company Petroceltic is set to lodge the declaration of com-merciality for its headline asset, the Ain Tsila/Isarene gas field in Algeria, to that country’s government early next month.

Dublin-based oil and gas exploration company Petroceltic is expected to achieve formal government approval for the future development of its headline Isarene/Ain Tsila gas field asset in Algeria by the end of July.

IRISH oil and gas exploration company Petroceltic is hopeful of finalising a farm-out partner for its chief asset in Algeria later this year, following a successful start to its evaluation programme on four wells in the country.

An Irish-based energy firm has landed a major oil and gas contract in Algeria, it was reported today.

BP has signed a £1.75bn deal with Algeria to develop a gas field deep in the Sahara desert.