Abu Dhabi – Cursor international

4 October, 2022

SAFEEN Group to provide Fuel Oil Transport to Iraq

AD Ports Group‘s (ADPORTS) SAFEEN Group and Amaan Baghdad Company have signed an agreement to support a new project relating to fuel oil transport and storage from Khor Al Zubair and Umm Qasr oil terminals in Iraq.

The project represents a significant extension of SAFEEN Group’s portfolio of dedicated products and services into the oil and gas sector and is part of its ongoing expansion in the key market of Iraq.

Under the terms of the agreement, SAFEEN Feeders, a subsidiary of SAFEEN Group, will manage the entire project, providing three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and one Medium Range (MR) tanker.

Working with Amaan Baghdad Company, SAFEEN Feeders will transport fuel oil from terminals in Port of Khor Al Zubair and Umm Qasr South Port to Iraqi territorial waters using the MR tanker. The fuel oil will then be transferred and stored on the VLCCs, which will serve as floating fuel tanks with monthly delivery capacity of 750,000 tonnes.

The agreement is secured at competitive rates, providing flexibility for the Iraqi partners, and ensuring a favourable rate of return for SAFEEN Group, which will not engage CapEx in this transaction.

Captain Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, Acting CEO of the Maritime Cluster and SAFEEN Group, AD Ports Group, said:

“We are pleased to complete this new agreement to support a major fuel oil transport and storage project in Iraq. The energy sector is an important growth market for SAFEEN Group, and this project demonstrates our expertise in this area as well as the extent and sophistication of our fleet.

“At the direction of our wise leadership, SAFEEN Group is expanding its global footprint to provide key maritime services to companies around the world. This agreement underlines our capacity to tailor solutions to the specific needs of companies in the oil and gas industry and marks an important extension of our presence in Iraq.“

Fadie Fouad, CEO Amaan Baghdad Company, said:

“We have selected SAFEEN Group based on its comprehensive suite of world-class marine services and the expertise of the dedicated team who will manage this project. The global fuel oil market has been volatile in 2022, and this additional storage capacity will support Iraq’s competitive offering.”

In addition to this new agreement, SAFEEN Feeders supports a weekly container service that connects Iraq with global markets. The company continues to look for opportunities to support the growth and diversification of maritime trade for Iraq.

(Source: AD Ports)

The post SAFEEN Group to provide Fuel Oil Transport to Iraq first appeared on Iraq Business News.

4 October, 2022

SAFEEN Group to provide Fuel Oil Transport to Iraq

Under the terms of the agreement, SAFEEN Feeders, a subsidiary of SAFEEN Group, will manage the entire project, providing three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and one Medium Range (MR) tanker.

Captain Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, Acting CEO of the Maritime Cluster and SAFEEN Group, AD Ports Group, said:

Fadie Fouad, CEO Amaan Baghdad Company, said:

(Source: AD Ports)

The post SAFEEN Group to provide Fuel Oil Transport to Iraq first appeared on Iraq Business News.

13 January, 2022

Dana Gas achieves 50% Gas Production Growth in 3 yrs

Dana Gas and its partner, Crescent Petroleum, have reported record sales gas production from their operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), reaching 452 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMscf/d) at the end of 2021.

The production milestone is the culmination of numerous process improvements at the Khor Mor gas plant, including a bypass project completed in 2020 as well as a de-bottlenecking programme earlier in 2018. Together, the process improvements have grown the production by 50% from 305 MMscf/d in 2018.

Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum jointly operate the Khor Mor and Chemchemal gas fields on behalf of the Pearl Petroleum consortium, supplying the gas which enables much needed electricity generation in the KRI, and also producing close to 16,000 barrels of condensate and 1,000 tonnes of LPG per day. The successful process improvements will be reinforced by the KM250 expansion project at the plant which is currently under implementation, and will increase total capacity by an additional 55% to 700 MMscf/d by April 2023.

Major works for the US$630 million KM250 expansion project resumed in April, 2021 after a delay of one year due to the COVID pandemic. The project is now on track for the new target start date of April 2023. As part of the expansion works, the Company is also preparing to drill up to five development wells, which are scheduled to commence production in March 2022.

The KM250 Gas Expansion Project is supported by a $250 million financing agreement for 7 years with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which was announced in September 2021. After completion of the KM250 project, the partners also plan a further KM500 train that would raise production to almost 1 billion cubic feet per day to meet rising demand for cleaner burning natural gas and electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region and all of Iraq.

Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum and Board Managing Director of Dana Gas, said:

“The achievement of this production milestone underscores the progress we continue to make at Khor Mor to meet the rapidly growing demand for natural gas in the KRI. Despite the challenges the whole world has faced over the past two years, we are proud to have continued delivering uninterrupted supply of clean-burning natural gas to support the KRI economy and enable a healthy recovery. Meanwhile our major expansion plans at the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields to target 1 billion cubic feet per day in the coming few years will enable improved services across the region for years to come.”

Dr Patrick Allman-Ward (pictured), CEO of Dana Gas, said:

“This milestone is testament to our people and their hard work making consistent production growth possible at our Khor Mor gas plant. Our continued investments since 2018, notably the Khor Mor de-bottlenecking and bypass projects, have allowed us to deliver reliable supplies of clean energy to support the KRI economy and its people, with enhanced economic and environmental benefits which will increase as we further grow production.”

Total investment by the Pearl Petroleum consortium exceeds US$2.3 billion to date, with total cumulative production of over 360 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of natural gas and liquids. The uninterrupted supply of gas to power plants in Erbil, Chemchemal and Bazian provides over 80% of the KRI’s power generation and has resulted in significant fuel cost savings through substitution of diesel representing both environmental and economic benefits for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.

The displacement of diesel fuel for power generation in the KRI with gas has also enabled emissions savings of 42 million tonnes of CO2, thereby making a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing local air pollution in the region as well as supporting the transition to better energy sources to tackle global climate change.

(Source: Dana Gas)

The post Dana Gas achieves 50% Gas Production Growth in 3 yrs first appeared on Iraq Business News.

22 August, 2019

Atrush Production exceeds 1m Barrels in July

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) has announced that its subsidiary, TAQA Atrush B.V. (TAQA Iraq), has set a new production record from the Atrush oil field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

For the first time since the field commenced production operations in July 2017, the total monthly production volume exceeded 1 million barrels of oil in July 2019.

The 1 million barrel mark is a key milestone in TAQA Iraq’s ongoing production improvement and expansion plans for the Atrush block and is a testimony to the effort, professionalism, and commitment to deliver safe and efficient operations in Iraq.

The current rate of gross production at the Atrush block is approximately 34,000 barrels of oil per day, which is line with the company’s targets for Q2 2019. The increase in production was largely due to new wells coming on stream and the impact of de-bottlenecking work over the past few months, which has increased the capacity of volumes handled by the production facility.

The facility has continued to meet targets at minimal spend and is a result of a focus on integrated planning and optimization.

Speaking on the milestone, TAQA Chief Executive Officer Saeed Al Dhaheri said:

“This significant achievement is a direct result of our Iraq team’s technical expertise and strategic planning efforts. As a global energy player with operations spanning four continents, our operations in Iraq have allowed us to strengthen our expertise as a leading developer of greenfield projects.

“We look forward to building on this achievement to continue to deliver energy to our strategic partners in the Kurdistan region, and to continue to forge strong relationships with local communities around the Atrush block.”

AbdulKhaliq Al Ameri, Managing Director of TAQA Iraq, added:

“Our focus for the past two years has been to improve the value of our asset while ensuring cost-optimization and uphold our commitment to health and safety. I am particularly proud of our team, which comprises more than 300 people, many of whom are from the Kurdistan region. This achievement is a result of their hard work and dedication to TAQA’s vision.”

The Atrush field is located 85 km northwest of Erbil and is one of the largest new oil developments in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The field was first discovered in 2011 and production started in 2017. In its two years of production, the Atrush field has produced of 17 million barrels of oil, with increasing efficiency.

In May 2019, TAQA Iraq completed the acquisition of an additional 7.5% working interest in the Atrush block from Marathon Oil KDV B.V. With this acquisition, TAQA Iraq’s working interest in the Atrush block increased from 39.9% to 47.4% and represents an AED 116 million addition to the company’s assets.

TAQA Iraq is the operator of the Atrush block and has a 47.4% working interest under the Atrush block Production Sharing Contract. TAQA Iraq’s partners in the project are the Kurdistan Regional Government (25%) and General Explorations Partners, Inc. (27.6%).

(Source: TAQA)

14 August, 2019

Atrush Block drives Production Gains at TAQA

By John Lee.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) has announced that the group’s oil and gas business delivered strong performance with an 11% increase in revenue, mainly driven by increased production volumes from its assets in Europe and Iraq.

In its financial results and operational highlights for the six-month period ending June 30, 2019, it said its overall capex also rose to AED 957 million in the first six months of 2019, a 15% increase when compared to the same period in 2018.

“The increase in Oil and Gas capex was largely driven by the AED 116 million acquisition of an additional 7.5% working stake in the Atrush Block from Marathon Oil Kurdistan B.V. in May of this year. The acquired stake increases TAQA’s working interest in the project from 39.9% to 47.4%.

“Additional capex in Iraq was focussed towards bringing new wells on stream and the impact of debottlenecking work to increase the capacity of the current production facility. This has proven to be a worthwhile investment, with TAQA’s entitlement production increasing to 5,728 boe/d in H1 2019, a 149% improvement compared to the previous year.”

It added that this has proven to be a worthwhile investment, with TAQA’s entitlement production increasing to 5,728 boe/d in H1 2019, a 149% improvement compared to the previous year.

The average production by the oil and gas business for the first half of the year increased 3% to 124,760 boe/d, aided by strong well performance in Europe and Iraq.

Commenting on the positive performance, Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Chairman of TAQA, said:

“Our solid performance in H1 2019 is underpinned by our strong operational performance. The Group’s balance sheet remains healthy, and with stable revenues and a further reduction in debt coupled with strong liquidity we remain on course to meet our long term objectives. The recent ratings affirmation from Moody’s is a testament to the stability of our operational performance.

“We also made exciting progress in advancing our strategy of maintaining capital discipline with focused investments in our core assets, such as the Atrush Block. Looking ahead, we remain optimistic and believe that our investments in the UAE and other strategic markets will contribute to a sustained growth story.”

(Source: TAQA)

31 July, 2019

Etihad Boosts Heathrow Year-Round Frequency

Etihad Airways will add a fourth year-round daily rotation between its Abu Dhabi hub and Heathrow within its upcoming winter schedule. The UAE national carrier says the enhanced frequency will launch on October 27 to link the two capitals and timed to depart the Middle East mid-morning and return for a late evening departure from London.

It follows a successful trial by Etihad with extra seasonal services this summer into Heathrow, which has seen up to five connections a day between the two airports.

The airline is rostering its two-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the new frequencies, with the jet configured with 28 Business Studios and 271 economy seats. Guests looking for the airline’s famous ‘Residence’ option or first class ‘apartments’, will need to fly on one of the carrier’s existing thrice-daily Airbus A380 services into the West London airport.

Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “The new service demonstrates our commitment to the crucially important UK market, and ensures we provide our customers with all the benefits of a next-generation fleet across all 42 weekly departures to and from the United Kingdom. Adding a fourth year-round flight will provide much needed capacity and optimised timings and easy connections to key destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.”

7 May, 2019

Pearl Petroleum to Raise Funding for Kurdistan Investment

By John Lee.

Pearl Petroleum is reportedly planning to raise additional funding for its drilling and development in Iraqi Kurdistan,

According to Reuters, Patrick Allman-Ward, the chief executive of Dana Gas, which is the majority owner of Pearl Petroleum, told reporters that the funding will “comprise a mix of bank debt, a bond, Exim bank financing as well as contractor and vendor financing.”

The company is developing that Khor Mor and Chemchemal gas fields in Iraqi Kurdistan.

(Source: Reuters)

9 July, 2018

Dana Gas gets $44m from KRG in 1H

By John Lee.

Dana Gas has said it has received $43.8 million in dividends from Pearl Petroleum Company Limited for condensate and LPG sales in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in the first half of 2018, including a $7 million payment for the month of June.

The company added that the capacity to process gas and condensate from the Khor Mor field (pictured) will increase by 580 MMscf/d and 20 mbbld, respectively, with the expansion programme is on track to deliver an increase in output of 80 MMscf/d by Q3 2018.

(Sources: Rudaw, Mubasher)

27 June, 2018

Paris Upgrade for Etihad

Etihad Airways has revealed its Abu Dhabi-Paris route will become an all-Airbus A380 service later this year. The UAE-based carrier confirmed plans to upgrade the second of its two daily rotations to the French capital from the current Boeing 777-300ER from October 1.

Etihad’s CEO Peter Baumgartner said: “Paris has always been a very special destination on the Etihad network and the number of visitors from France to Abu Dhabi, and vice versa has continued to show significant growth. The route has never been more in demand.

“We have seized the opportunity to place our flagship A380 on our second daily flight, following the great reception the aircraft has received from our guests, and to ensure we offer product consistency on the route. This will also allow us to significantly increase the number of leisure and premium seats available, providing more options for those wanting to travel point-to-point between Abu Dhabi and Paris, two capitals now also united by Louvre museums, or to connect via our Abu Dhabi hub to points all over the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”

27 June, 2018

Cobalt Looks East

Cypriot carrier Cobalt Air has signed an interline agreement with Etihad Airways. The tie-up, announced on June 7, strengthens the Larnaca-based airline’s presence in the Middle East and extends its reach east beyond Abu Dhabi to more than 100 Etihad-operated routes

Cobalt Air’s chief commercial officer Paul Simmons. (Photo Cobalt Air)

Cobalt Air’s CCO Paul Simmons commented: “Cobalt is less than two years old and to be adopted as an interline partner by Etihad Airways, one of the biggest and most prestigious carriers in the world, is a major recognition for us. We are delighted to start this exciting new relationship and offer Cyprus people more convenient connections beyond Abu Dhabi. We anticipate great demand year-round from the UAE for our beautiful island and this new connection with Etihad opens the market up even more. UAE-originating passengers can also fly onwards from Larnaca on our growing network.”

The partnership with Etihad is the latest development for Cobalt, which continues to invest heavily in its product and offering. The carrier, which joined IATA at the end of last year, has recently introduced the wireless Bluebox Wow IFE, which streams content to personal devices, on all of its aircraft and has rolled out a new business class product – featuring spacious four-abreast seating set at a 40in (101.6cm) pitch – across its fleet.