DUBAI (Reuters) - Sonatrach has signed an agreement with U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil to allow the study of opportunities to develop hydrocarbon resources in Algeria's Ahnet and Gourara basins, the state-owned Algerian oil and gas group said on Thursday.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by David Goodman)