Recent Developments

A jihadist group called the Sinai Province of the Islamic State made waves in the international media last week by executing a foreign worker named Tomislav Salopek. Salopek, a Croatian citizen, was working for the French energy services company Compagnie Générale de Géophysique (CGG) when he was seized by armed gunman three weeks ago, just some 22 kilometers outside of Cairo. His death comes after an unsuccessful diplomatic push from the Croatian government to secure his freedom.

The execution is a blow to foreign energy companies operating in Egypt, especially since Mr. Salopek was kidnapped in an area that is not generally considered high-risk. CGG has already issued a statement saying that it is reassessing its worker safety procedures. Other major operators in Egypt’s energy sector include BP, Germany’s DEA Group, Italy’s ENI, the UK’s BG Group, the US’ Apache, and China’s Sinopec.