Israel to boost gas supply to Egypt by 34% after changes to landmark agreement - ENTERPRISE

Thursday, 3 October 2019

Israel to boost gas supply to Egypt: Dolphinus Holdings and the operators of Israel’s offshore natural gas fields Delek Drilling and Noble Energy have agreed to increase the supply of natural gas to Egypt by 34% to 85.3 bn cubic meters (bcm) under amendments to the landmark 2018 agreement, both Bloomberg and Reuters reported, citing an Israeli bourse statement.

What’s new? The value of the agreement is now USD 19.5 bn, up from USD 15 bn when the parties signed the original pact in February 2018. Exports from the Leviathan field will double to 60 bcm over 15 years and shipments from the Tamar field will fall to 25.3 bcm from 32 bcm. Gas shipments will begin flowing on 1 January 2020, through to 2034. The first three years will see a total of 2.1 bcm sold annually, before growing to 6.7 bcm a year after that. Oil Minister Tarek El Molla previously said the first shipment is on track to arrive by the end of the year.

Egypt, U.S. sign deal to boost oil, gas cooperation - XINHUA

2019-07-27 01:56:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

CAIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and the United States signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas industry.

The MoU was signed in Cairo by Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tareq al-Molla and U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Petroleum Ministry.

The agreement is meant to facilitate the exchange of technical information, consultancy services and the transfer of technology in the fields of oil and gas exploration, production and refining, as well as petrochemicals, the statement said.

Rising Oil Bill May Erase Egypt's Savings From Gas Milestone - BLOOMBERG

October 3, 2018, 4:22 PM GMT+3

• Egypt faces hit to budget from oil after ending imports of gas
• Government was planning to phase out costly fuel subsidies

No sooner has Egypt achieved its milestone of regaining self-sufficiency in natural gas than another corner of the energy market threatens to deal a new blow to fragile government finances.

A six-fold increase in production at the giant offshore Zohr field means Egypt can now meet its own needs domestically. The government may now save some $2 billion a year after receiving what it said was the final shipment of expensive liquefied natural gas last week. But relief for the most populous Arab country -- a net importer of refined gasoline and diesel -- could be short-lived.

Egypt’s 2018-2019 budget assumes oil prices at $67 a barrel but crude has already surged past $80, threatening plans to cut the deficit under an economic overhaul program backed by a $12 billion International Monetary Fund loan. It also poses a dilemma for the government, which had sought to phase out fuel subsidies by mid-2019; burden the population by lifting prices higher and faster than expected or abandon its deficit target altogether.

Egypt receives final LNG shipment, marking end of gas imports: Tarek El-Molla - DAILY NEWS EGYPT

29 September 2018

Egypt received the final liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment, after which the country will halt natural gas imports, Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum, LNG imports cost the state about $280m monthly, to meet domestic market demands.

Moreover, it is estimated that around $3bn this fiscal year will be saved following the connection of the new gas explorations to the production cycle.

Egypt gas output at 6.6 bln cubic feet per day -official - REUTERS

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 / 11:38 AM

Reporting by Ehab Farouk, writing by John Davison; editing by Alexander Smith

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt’s natural gas output has risen to 6.6 billion cubic feet per day after an increase in production at its mammoth Zohr offshore gas field, an energy official said on Saturday.

Output at Zohr rose to 2 billion cubic feet per day, the petroleum ministry said on Friday.

Egypt aims to be a regional hub for the trade of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after a string of major discoveries in recent years including Zohr, which holds an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Foreign oil, gas investments in Egypt hit $10 bln in 2017-18 - minister - REUTERS

CAIRO, AUGUST 24, 2018 / 5:46 PM 

Reporting by Ali Abdelaty, writing by John Davison; Editing by Jan Harvey

Foreign investment in Egypt’s oil and gas sector rose to $10 billion in the 2017-2018 financial year, Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said in an interview with state-run Al Ahram newspaper published on Friday.

That is up by nearly a quarter from 8.1 billion in the previous year. El Molla was quoted by the paper as saying he expected the same volume of investments in the current fiscal year. Egypt’s fiscal year runs from July to June.

Italian oil company Eni said last month that the production capacity of Egypt’s giant Mediterranean Zohr gas field stood at 1.6 billion cubic feet a day and would reach 2 billion by September.

Egypt plans to become a regional hub for the trade of liquefied natural gas after a string of major discoveries in the Mediterranean that are expected to make Egypt self-sufficient in gas by the end of 2018. 

Did Israel just back our quest to become the region’s premier energy hub? - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

Israel’s foreign ministry gave our quest to become the East Med’s gas export hub a huge pat on the back at the expense of Turkey. A classified report from Israel’s Foreign Ministry has recommended that Israel rely on exporting its natural gas to Europe through Egypt, rather than Turkey, according to Ynet News (Hebrew). According to the report, Egypt is the best option on the economic, political, and strategic fronts than Turkey, which is “a dangerous and volatile player,” and is also preferable to Greece.

The endorsement casts shade on an EU-endorsed pipeline that would run from the East Mediterranean through Turkey — the rival proposal to exporting the gas to Europe from Egypt. Energy analysts have long complained that the pipeline was not cost effective compared with the Egypt option. Regional politics and tensions between Israel, Cyprus and Turkey have also dimmed the prospects of the pipeline. Not to mention the fact that plans to export from Egypt are already underway with international agreements having been signed, including the USD 800 mn-1 bn pipeline.

ExxonMobil eyes Africa expansion, Egypt tops the list - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 20 May 2018

INVESTMENT WATCH- ExxonMobil is eyeing expansion opportunities in Africa, now that oil prices are on the rise again, according to the Africa Report. “The company wants to reinvest in Africa, partly to compete against Eni and Total and to not leave them to dominate the continent,” says OCP Policy Center research associate Francis Perrin. “ExxonMobil looks at everything and everywhere, from Egypt to Mauritania through South Africa, but that doesn’t mean it will buy all the blocks it is studying or start producing from all the fields it is exploring.”

Egypt may be a good choice for Exxon, where it’s already eyeing opportunities in the East Mediterranean. “The foray into Egypt’s offshore oil and gas it is currently considering can be linked to a desire to combine recent gas discoveries in Cyprus with new Egyptian fields and also to find business opportunities for its gas in the highly populated – close to 100 mn people – and top energy-consuming country in the region,” Wood Mackenzie’s upstream Egypt analyst Stephen Fullerton. Egypt is close to finalizing an agreement with Cyprus to build a USD 800 mn to USD 1 bn gas pipeline that should see Egypt begin exporting LNG to Europe, moving one step closer to achieving its goal of becoming a regional hub.

Egypt issues regulations allowing private sector gas imports - REUTERS

FEBRUARY 13, 2018 / 5:38 PM

Reporting by Momen Saeed Attallah. Writing by Eric Knecht. Editing by Jane Merriman

CAIRO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Egypt has issued long-awaited executive regulations that will allow the private sector to import natural gas directly, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office on Tuesday.

Egypt’s parliament last year passed a law establishing a gas regulatory authority that the government hopes will attract greater private sector participation in the country’s rapidly expanding gas sector.

The executive regulations issued on Tuesday make this law active.

Egypt to allow foreign companies to export gas in five years - ENTERPRISE

Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Egypt will allow foreign companies to “freely” export natural gas not needed for domestic use in five years, Oil Minister Tarek El Molla announced on Monday during Al Ahram’s energy conference, according to Reuters. New exploration contracts contains a clause that allows companies to export a part of their share of extracted gas abroad in the event it is not needed by Egypt, El Molla told a news conference. The move, which comes as part of Egypt’s strategy to become a regional hub for exporting gas next year, comes after the Zohr gas field began production on Saturday, raising Egypt’s production to 5.5 bcf/d by next year.

Egypt lays gas-hub foundations - PETROLEUM ECONOMIST

10 August 2017
Gerald Butt

President Sisi has signed into law new gas-sector regulations expanding the role of the private sector

A casual reader of Egypt's Official Gazette mightn't find much in the way of excitement in Law 196 of 2017. But for anyone interested in the country's burgeoning natural gas sector it's hugely important.

In effect, Egypt is taking a giant step towards becoming the region's natural gas hub and putting itself beyond the reach of potential competitors like Cyprus and Turkey. The new law allows private-sector firms to use the state import and distribution infrastructure to trade in natural gas.

Israel's role in Turkey's gas hub - PETROLEUM ECONOMIST

London/Tel Aviv, 1 August 2017
Gina Cohen, Aura Sabadus

Turkey needs more gas and wants to diversify the sources. LNG and a pipeline from Israel are the answer

A recurring theme in Turkish political discourse has been an ambition to establish an energy hub to capitalise on the country's strategic location linking resource-rich countries to its east with European markets to its west. Israeli gas and new flexible supplies of liquefied natural gas can help Turkey deliver on the aim.

So far, Turkey's strategy has lacked clarity and the objective has been open to multiple interpretations, each reflecting the country's tortuous relations with its neighbours and the poor level of market liberalisation and regulatory reform that would be needed to create a viable gas hub.

Turkey to become natural gas hub, says former Gazprom executive - DAILY SABAH

20.2.2017

TurkStream necessary for region's natural gas supply

[Alex] Barnes said that Turkey, receiving natural gas from different sources such as Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan, would become a regional hub by putting the necessary rules into practice.

"Natural gas, which will pass through TurkStream, will be needed by Europe since the U.K. and the Netherlands are slowing their natural gas production. In addition, Europe should also increase its use of gas to reduce coal use. If they want to buy Russian gas via Turkey, they will pay and receive it," said Barnes, as he evaluated the second pipeline in the TurkStream natural gas pipeline project.

LNG fleet operator GasLog closes deal to buy 20% stake in Greece's Gastrade - PLATTS

London (Platts)--9 Feb 2017 924 am EST/1424 GMTStuart Elliott, Edited by Dan Lalor

• Gastrade is developing 6.1 Bcm/year Alexandroupolis LNG project
• FID set for 2017, FSRU to be operational by end-2019
• Plant has attracted interest of LNG producers, including US, Qatar 

LNG tanker fleet operator GasLog has closed a deal to take a 20% stake in Greek energy company Gastrade which is developing the planned 6.1 Bcm/year floating LNG facility at Alexandroupolis in northern Greece, the companies said Thursday.

GasLog's equity position in Gastrade will "materially contribute in the development of the Alexandroupolis project", Gastrade said.

Turkey’s role in natural gas – Becoming a transit country? - INSTITUTE OF ENERGY ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE (EWI)

January 2017

Istemi Berk, Simon Schulte

EWI Working Paper, No 17/01
Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI)

This paper analyses the possible future role that Turkey can play in European natural gas markets. We employ a global gas market simulation model, COLUMBUS, to assess the outcomes of different scenarios concerning natural gas supply routes to Europe through Turkey up to 2030. The results imply simply that under current conditions, i.e., a more competitive environment in European gas markets leading to low gas prices, Turkey’s role would be of only minor importance. In accordance with various scenarios presented in this study, Turkey’s role is seen at its most important when European demand increases and Russia exerts power in the European markets.

Turkey’s role in natural gas – Becoming a transit country? - EWI Working Paper, No 17/01

Egyptian gas market sees seasonal surplus, says Wood Mac - WORLD OIL

1/16/2017

LONDON/HOUSTON/SINGAPORE -- Egypt's gas market is poised to undergo profound changes in the next five years, and these could have an impact on the global LNG market, seeing Egypt position itself as a prominent seasonal player, research from global natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie shows.

After five years of falling gas production and switching from a net exporter to a net importer, Egypt's fortunes look set to change. As a number of major offshore gas developments come on stream in the next few years, including BP's West Nile Delta and Atoll fields, and Eni's massive Zohr find, the North African country will add a cumulative 41 Bcm a year of gas production by 2022. These new volumes will push the country's gas market back to surplus.