Egyptian petroleum minister fleshes out country’s progress as regional hub - THE ARAB WEEKLY

Sunday 24/02/2019

Mohamed Hammad

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek el-Molla said Cairo would soon announce its first international bid for oil and gas exploration in the country’s Red Sea territory, as a step towards Egypt increasing its position among natural gas suppliers in the region.

Molla said the ministry carried out two seismic surveys in the Red Sea and southern Egypt that indicated “positive signs that encouraged us to submit tenders to international companies for the extraction of oil and gas in that virgin region.”

“This procedure would not have been possible without the delimitation of the maritime border with Saudi Arabia in April 2016. [The agreement] enabled Egypt to search and explore in this region for the first time,” Molla said.

The surveys were carried out by US companies TGS and Schlumberger at a cost of about $750 million.

Tenders for oil and gas exploration in the Red Sea were to have been announced last December but Molla said Egyptian officials decided to wait to better market the promising potential in the region.

EGAS renews initial approvals for BB energy, Taqa, Energy Fleet for gas importation - DAILY NEWS EGYPT

10 September 2018

Mohamed Adel

EGAS has renewed the approvals for the companies BB, Taqa and Fleet Energy on the licenses for natural or liquefied gas importation to provide it within the local market, after the licenses expired and the companies did not submit the required data to obtain the licenses.

A source at EGAS told Daily News Egypt that the three companies that obtained the initial approvals for the licenses have not submitted the data related to the importation body and the supplied amounts, as well as the client, with which there is a contract to obtain gas in the local market.

He explained that the initial approval on the import licenses is renewed every six months, and the companies applying to import gas have not taken any real steps to obtain the final licenses.

The private sector companies that obtained initial approvals are Energy Fleet, headed by Essam Kafafy, located in Panama, in addition to BB Energy, owned by a Lebanese Family, located in London. In addition, Taqa Arabia, owned by several funding gulf companies, in cooperation with Egyptian Qalaa Company.

Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals signs gas, electricity supply contracts with GASCO, ETHYDCO - ENTERPRISE

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals (SIDPEC) signed yesterday a contract with the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) to supply propane gas and another contract with the Egyptian Ethylene & Derivatives Company (ETHYDCO) to supply electricity for SIDPEC’s propylene and propylene factory, according to a statement to the EGX.

Egypt's gas transmission strategy - PETROLEUM ECONOMIST

10 January 2018

Gerald Butt

With natural gas from the super-giant Zohr field now flowing ashore, plans are in place to make distribution of the fuel more efficient and to expand wind power

For the Egyptian government, 20 December 2017 was a red-letter day. It was when Eni produced first gas from the Zohr field 190km (118 miles) from the coast. Zohr is by far the biggest natural gas discovery in the Eastern Mediterranean, with estimated reserves of 30 trillion cubic feet. The arrival of Zohr gas ashore—at an initial rate of 350m cubic feet a day, rising to 1.2bn cf/d under Phase 1—is a major factor in the Egyptian government's decision to phase out liquefied natural gas imports during the course of this year and prepare for the restart of exports.

But the priority for the Egyptian authorities is to make sure that domestic demand for gas is satisfied—in particular for power generation. Nothing is more calculated to stoke social unrest than lengthy power cuts in Cairo and other overcrowded cities during the stiflingly hot summer months.

EBRD lends Egypt USD 200 mn to improve natural gas infrastructure - ENTERPRISE

Thursday, 28 December 2017

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending Egypt USD 200 mn to “finance the modernization of selected gas infrastructure facilities.” The EBRD loan “will be extended to the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and its subsidiary Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) to fund the introduction of state-of-the-art technologies to recover waste heat from gas turbines used to drive gas compressors. The recovered heat will be used to produce additional energy, which will drive new electric compressors and replace fuels on-site. The introduction of new technology will lead to a reduction of over 250,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year.” Oil Minister Tarek El Molla says “the EBRD will also provide technical assistance in addition to the USD 200 mn loan, which will contribute to the upgrading of gas metering systems throughout the Egyptian gas transmission network, a key step towards an efficient and cost conscious use of energy.”

Jordan’s Energy Minister looks to expand energy cooperation with Egypt - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Jordan’s Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh is in Egypt to discuss expanding energy cooperation. Along with Oil Minister Tarek El Molla, he attended the signing of two MoUs between Jordanian Egyptian Fajr for Natural Gas Transmission & Supply, Fajr Egypt, the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (Gasco), and Egypt Gas. 

The first agreement will see the establishment of a JV between the companies to operate oil and gas pipelines in Jordan, while the second pertains to feasibility studies on a number of natural gas grid development and expansion projects in Jordan, according to Al Mal. 

Kharabsheh also met with Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker to discuss establishing a second power line connecting the electricity grids of both countries, a proposal Shaker welcomed.

UK embassy launches Oil & Gas International Scholarship Programme for Egyptian students - AHRAM ONLINE

Tuesday 18 Jul 2017

The British Embassy in Egypt launched the Oil and Gas International Scholarship Programme on Monday for up to 2,000 Egyptian employees over the coming five years to meet the changing needs of businesses in the oil and gas sector, according to an embassy statement.

The programme, which is the largest scholarship program in its sector in Egypt, aims to "support the work of the Egyptian government as it modernises the oil and gas sector," the embassy said in an emailed statement late on Monday.

The program was designed by the International Academy for Advanced Research and Studies (IARS) and its training partner Pearson, the largest awarding body in UK, in cooperation with Oil and Gas Skills Egypt (OGS). It will provide accessible and affordable high-quality international training programs, the embassy statement said.

First Chinese-operated gas regulator station in Egypt to be operational in September - CHINA DAILY / XINHUA

Xinhua | 2017-07-12 14:20

BENI SUEF, Egypt — The first gas regulator station operated by a Chinese company in Egypt will be operational in September, a company representative said Tuesday.

The Beni Suef station, operated by China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation (CPTDC), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), will start pumping natural gas in September, Qitang Li, a CPTDC representative in Cairo told Xinhua.

CPTDC signed a $20 million deal with Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) in 2016 to establish three gas regulator stations in Egypt.

Under the deal, the Beni Suef station, 150 kilometers south to the Egyptian capital Cairo, will start operating in September, while the other two stations at Burullus city and the new administrative capital will start assembling work soon, Li said.

GASCO to hire domestic companies for transporting natural gas from Raven field to Western Desert Gas Complex - ENERGY EGYPT / ENTERPRISE PRESS

August 2, 2016

The Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) could potentially hire domestic energy companies such as Enppi and Petrojet to provide technical support as well as engineering and design services to transport gas from the Raven field in the North Alexandria Concession to the Western Desert Gas Complex, an unnamed source told Al Mal.

Natural gas would be transported from the BP-operated field at a rate ranging between 400 and 450 mcf/d, with the project expected to be completed between two and three years. Last week, it was reported that GASCO is also studying investing USD 500 mn in the second phase of the project to increase the production of the ethane-propane mix from the complex.

MOU signed between GASCO and Tecnicas Reunidas for enhanced methane recovery project study - ENERGY EGYPT / MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM

February 20, 2016

Eng. Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Mr. Arturo Avello, the Spanish Ambassador in Cairo, witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) and Spanish company Tecnicas Reunidas, one of the largest international companies specializing in engineering design and construction of oil and gas projects.

The MOU is for the preparation of a technical and economic feasibility study and the provision of finance offers for the second phase of the enhanced methane recovery project at the Western Desert Gas Complex (WDGC). The project aims to maximize the production of ethane/propane mixture, which forms the basis for the production of ethylene and polyethylene in the petrochemical industry, thus contributing to securing feedstock and raw material for new and existing petrochemical projects.

The Memorandum was signed by Eng. Karem Mahmoud, Chairman of GASCO and Mr. Ricardo Sanchez Galindo, Commercial Director of Tecnicas Reunidas. The signing took place in the presence of Eng. Mohamed Taher, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum for Petroleum Affairs, Eng. Khaled Abdel Badie, Head of Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and Eng. Mohamed Safaan, President and Chairman of Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM).