LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - BP said on Tuesday it hadreturned some staff to Algeria but more security arrangementswould need to be completed before it sends expatriates back toIn Amenas, the southern gas plant attacked by Islamic militantslast year.
"We do have some people back at In Salah but not at InAmenas. We are still trying to finalise the securityarrangements that will be in place ... but it's all moving inthe right direction," said BP spokesman Robert Wine.
Forty workers, most of them foreign, died at In Amenas inJanuary 2013 after militants took staff hostage during afour-day siege that ended when Algerian forces stormed the site.
BP, which operates In Amenas with Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned Sonatrach, said it had begun returningexpatriate staff to the capital in late 2013, before sendingsome back to the oil and gas centre of Hassi Messaoud.
A small number of staff had returned to another gas facilityat In Salah in recent weeks, Wine said.
"At In Salah, we normally only have a handful of expatriates- about 15 or 20. We only have twos or threes there at themoment," Wine said, adding that BP would build up its presenceas the security arrangements are finalised.
Statoil said last week it had also returned staff to InSalah and Hassi Messaoud but not to the scene of the attack.
In Amenas produced about 11.5 percent of Algeria's naturalgas output before the attack and full resumption would free upmore of the fuel for export to Europe.
An Algerian energy official said in late January that InAmenas would be operating at full capacity within weeks as workon the last of three units nears completion.
BP (BP.)