Posted on

Dana Gas Boosts Production in Kurdistan

By John Lee.

Sharjah-based Dana Gas has announced that its average production for Q1 2019 has increased by 6% year-on-year to 68,700 boepd from 65,000 boepd in Q1 2018.

The first quarter production increase was led by the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which leapt to 32,750 boepd in Q1 2019 from 26,300 boepd in Q1 2018.

This increase was principally due to additional production from the completed debottlenecking project that came on-stream in October 2018 and took gas production in the KRI from 300 MMscf/d to 400 MMscf/d, an increase of over 30%.

On a quarter by quarter comparison, Q1 2019 production grew by 5% from Q4 2018, reflecting the increase in production from the KRI and supported by having brought the Balsam-8 well in Egypt on-stream in Q4.

Dr Patrick Allman-Ward, CEO, Dana Gas, said:

“The two major growth projects completed in 2018 – the debottlenecking project in the KRI and the Balsam-8 well in Egypt – have proven to be materially value accretive both operationally and financially. 

“Our production numbers are up 6% in the first quarter 2019 and we expect this increase in production to have a positive impact on the Company’s revenues since we are now realising gas sales in the KRI and we will be benefiting from the steady increase in oil prices since Q4 2018.“

(Source: Dana Gas)

Posted on

Basrah Gas Company to Increase Capacity by 40%

By John Lee.

Shell has reportedly announced that the Basrah Gas Company (BGC) has taken a “final investment decision (FID)” on its growth programme, which will increase BGC’s capacity by 40 percent.

According to Oil and Gas Middle East, the decision was taken with the support of all BGC’s shareholders: South Gas Company (SOC), Shell and Mitsubishi.

BGC captures flared gas from the Rumaila, West Qurna 1 and Zubair oilfields, converting it into dry gas for power generation and liquids for the domestic market and for exports.

At the heart of the new development is the Basrah Natural Gas Liquids (Basrah NGL) project; a 400 million standard cubic feet per day greenfield gas processing plant at Ar Ratawi.

More here.

(Source: Oil and Gas Middle East)

Posted on

BGC to Increase Gas Output by 16% by end-Dec

By John Lee.

The Basra Gas Company (BGC) is expected to increase production from its current level of 900 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d) to 1,050 mcf/d by the end of this year.

A statement from the Ministry of Oil on Thursday added that the project aims to reach a target of 2,000 mcf/d from the fields of Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna 1.

Shell has a 44-percent stake in the $17-billion, 25-year BGC project, with Iraq having 51 percent, and Japan’s Mitsubishi 5 percent.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

Posted on

Iraq Plans to take over Mansuriyah Gas Field

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] (pictured) as ordered Iraq’s state-owned oil companies to devise an urgent plan to develop the Mansuriyah (Mansouriya) gas field, following what he described as the delay and the failure of foreign companies to start developing the field.

The field, in Diyala province, was awarded in the third licensing round in 2010 to a consortium of international oil companies consisting of: Turkey’s TPAO (37.5%), Iraq’s Oil Exploration Company (25%), Kuwait Energy (KEC) (22.5%), and the Korean Gas Corporation (Kogas) (15%).

It holds around 127 billion cubic metres of gas. They committed to produce 320 million standard cubic feet of gas a day for $7 per barrel of oil equivalent produced, the maximum the government would agree to pay.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

Posted on

Rosneft, KRG sign Gas Development Agreement

As part of the XXII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Rosneft and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq signed an agreement securing the intention of the Parties to make a detailed analysis of potential gas cooperation options.

The Parties ensure stepwise implementation of the arrangements following the Investment Agreement signed at the XXI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Rosneft will focus its analysis on how to participate in the integrated gas business value chain in the region in order to extract maximum efficiency from investments and operations in such areas as exploration and production, transportation and trading with especial attention given to partnership and project (third party) financing options.

Under the Agreement the Parties will elaborate an integral plan to progress the gas business within the Kurdish Region of Iraq. One step in this plan is the conduct of a pre-FEED of Iraqi Kurdistan’s gas pipeline construction and operation.

This is a key project to the monetization of the exploration and production opportunities Rosneft has been evaluating since signing a Gas Cooperation Agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq at the 10th Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona on 19 October 2017.

Following the outcomes of the integral development plan in terms of the attractiveness and efficiency of the options, Rosneft will decide on how to participate in the regional gas business.

(Source: Rosneft)

Posted on

Kuwait Energy starts Producing Gas at Siba

By John Lee.

Kuwait Energy has started producing natural gas from the Siba field, south of Basra, on Wednesday.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] (pictured) announced an inital production rate of 25 million cubic feet a day (mcf/d), increasing to 100 mcf/d by the end of the year.

Kuwait Energy was awarded a 20 year Gas Development and Production Service Contract (GDPSC) for the Siba field in June 2011, granting the company operatorship and 45 percent revenue interest, but it farmed out a 20 percent stake to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) in October 2016.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

Posted on

Kuwait Energy starts Producing Gas at Siba

By John Lee.

Kuwait Energy has started producing natural gas from the Siba field, south of Basra, on Wednesday.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] (pictured) announced an inital production rate of 25 million cubic feet a day (mcf/d), increasing to 100 mcf/d by the end of the year.

Kuwait Energy was awarded a 20 year Gas Development and Production Service Contract (GDPSC) for the Siba field in June 2011, granting the company operatorship and 45 percent revenue interest, but it farmed out a 20 percent stake to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) in October 2016.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

Posted on

New Gas Treatment Station opened at Bazirgan Field

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] has opened a gas treatment station at the Bazirgan field in Maysan [Missan] governorate.

The celebration was also attended the members of the parliament, the deputies of the ministry, the directors general and the responsible officials of the ministry, the local government and the governorate.

Mr. Al-Luiebi said that the gas investment is a real priority for the ministry of oil to stop wasting the oil wealth and to develop the gas industry in Iraq.

Mr. Al-Luiebi said in his speech during the celebration that the gas treatment project is designed to process two million standard cubic meters of associated gas which means (71) MSCF/ day. The processed quantities of gas will be used to operate the (44) megawatts Maysan power station, in order to operate the production units and facilities in the oil fields and supply the surplus to the national power stations with an average of (60) megawatts.

Mr. Al-Luiebi said also:

“We are standing today before and economic edifice and a new accomplishment achieved by the faithful sons of Iraq in general and Maysan in special, and this project is a part of the strategic significant plans of the ministry of oil to invest the associated gas and make use of it in the industry of liquid gas and condensed gas which has become a good economic source of outcome to the federal governmental budget, through the exportation which is being done since two years. In addition to the outcome of the crude oil exportation”.

Mr. Al-Luiebi referred to the accomplishments of the ministry in the sectors of production, exportation and gas industry, which was made through the investment projects by cooperation with the national effort and the international specialized companies. In “dear Maysan” there was many accomplishments, such as the elevation of the oil production to about (480) thousand barrels/ day which can be considered as a big achievement to the governorate within a record time of a few years.

The development projects are continuous in the fields of the company and it is expected to finish the third treatment station in Halfaya field within the end of this year with capacity of (200) thousand barrels/ day to elevate the production from the field to (400) thousand barrels, and elevate the production of the company.

The representative of the Chinese company Inpal said that the project was executed according to the international standards within 18 months and will ensure the investment of large gas quantities to be used in the power station turbines in the field and the national power network.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

Posted on

KRG, Pearl agreement to boost Electricity Generation

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Pearl Petroleum have signed an agreement to increase production of gas from the Khor Mor field later this year, to boost much needed electricity generation for the people of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.

The 10-year gas sales agreement will enable gas production from Khor Mor field to increase by 25% later this year, from 320 million cubic feet per day currently to 400 million cubic feet per day.

Dr Ashti Hawrami, KRG Minister of Natural Resources, said:

“We are pleased to see the further commitment of expansion and investment by the companies and the anticipated growth in gas supplies will make a positive contribution to the growing domestic needs for more electricity.”

As part of a final settlement of arbitration in August 2017, Pearl Consortium, which is led by Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas, committed to expanding their investment and operations in the region.

The companies plan a multi-well drilling program in the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields, as well as installation of new gas processing and liquids extraction facilities. The overall aim is to increase gas production by a further 125% within two years, to 900 million cubic feet per day.

KRG also welcomes Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum’s expansion of their local training and employment programs, as agreed in the arbitration settlement. The companies employ close to 500 full-time local personnel representing over 80% localisation, and have training programmes to increase this figure further.

See also the Dana Gas press release on the Gas sales agreement (external link)

(Source: KRG)

Posted on

Natural Gas Must Be an Asset for Iraq

By Alessandro Bacci.

Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

On February 27-28, 2018, the C.W.C. Group, an energy and infrastructure conference, exhibition and training company, will organize in Berlin, Germany, the twelfth edition of Iraq Petroleum, which is one of the major events concerning Iraq’s oil and gas sector.

One of the main topics of Iraq Petroleum 2018 will be the development of Iraq’s natural gas reserves with the specific goal of strengthening energy-intensive industries to diversify the Iraqi economy.

In Iraq, natural gas might really be the key driver to develop additional industrial sectors. In fact, natural gas may be used for power generation (electricity), petrochemicals, fertilizers, and other heavy industries in which gas is the primary feedstock.

In this regard, some analysts might object that the development of these new industrial sectors would not really change the picture for Iraq because its economic development would still be too linked to the oil and gas sector—in practice Iraq’s economy would continue to be overaffected by the price of oil and gas.

This observation is by no means wrong, but it’s also true that, apart from increasing oil exports (and in this regard, it will be important to see how Iraq will deal in the future with OPEC’s quota restrictions) to improve its economic standing Iraq does not have many alternatives to developing its natural gas resources and then using them to add other industrial sectors to the economy.

Please click here to download the full report.

Alessandro Bacci is an independent energy consultant in relation to business strategy and corporate diplomacy (policy, government, and public affairs). Much of his activity is linked to the MENA region, an area where he lived for four years. Alessandro is now based in London, United Kingdom (www.alessandrobacci.com). A multilingual professional, Alessandro holds a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of Florence (Italy), a Master in Public Affairs from Sciences Po (France), and a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Singapore).