Zohr offshore Egypt building to peak gas capacity - OFFSHORE MAGAZINE

FEB/01/2019

MOSCOW – Gas produced from the deepwater Zohr field in the Egyptian sector of the Mediterranean Sea totaled 12.2 bcm last year, according to partner Rosneft.

During the second half of the year, output increased almost fourfold compared with H1, when production amounted to 3.1 bcm.

Over the course of 2018, the treatment capacity was increased in stages from 11.3 MMcm/d (400 MMcf/d) to the current 56.6 MMcm/d (2 bcf/d), in line with the development plan and the gas sales agreement.

Rosneft expects gas output to reach the design capacity of 76 MMcm/d (2.7 bcf/d) by the end of 2019.

Zohr holds estimated in-place volumes of 850 bcm. Other partners are Eni, BP, and Mubadala Petroleum.

Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company Takes Strides Towards Country’s Emergence as Energy Hub - SOUTH EU SUMMIT

1 FEBRUARY 2019

The Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company was established in 2014, following natural gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, to be in charge of all hydrocarbon discoveries in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. As the world’s youngest national oil and gas company, it is working diligently under the leadership of Dr. Toula Onoufriou, to support the development of Cyprus’ hydrocarbons’ sector, and make the vision of Cyprus as a regional energy hub a reality.

Leviathan gas rig reaches Israel - REUTERS

JANUARY 31, 2019 / 5:49 PM

DOR BEACH, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday inaugurated the foundation of the Leviathan natural gas rig, effectively stomping out protests from residents and environmentalists who say it is too close to shore.

Leviathan, discovered in 2010, is one of the world’s largest gas discoveries of the past decade. The rig’s foundation, known as a platform jacket, arrived on a barge that sailed from Texas. Its topside is expected in several months. It is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“Israel is becoming an energy power. Israel is independent, and is not dependent on anyone for its energy needs,” Netanyahu told reporters at the site, about 120 km (75 miles) off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

Hopes run high for the East Med - PETROLEUM ECONOMIST

31 January 2019
Charles Ellinas

Possible major new discoveries, along with rising production and simmering regional geopolitics, make 2019 a year of reckoning

Egypt will be forging ahead in the coming 12 months, building on the success of the past three years, with more gas finds and exports of LNG. Eni is expected to announce a major new discovery at the Noor prospect, about 50km (31 miles) offshore Sinai. Together with a number of smaller gasfields, this will bolster Egypt's gas production and support LNG exports.

Eni will raise output at the Zohr gasfield to 3.2bn cf/d by the end of 2019, up 0.5bn cf/d from the originally planned production plateau, the icing on the cake of a remarkable project. Following completion of the negotiations between the Damietta LNG plant partners and the Egyptian government to settle an arbitration award against the latter, this additional gas from Zohr will be destined for liquefaction and export, mostly to Italy.

In the meantime, BP will also be expanding its operations in Egypt, committing to spend another $1.8bn in 2019 to speed up gas production. It will bring the Raven gasfield, in its West Nile Delta concession, on stream adding another 350mn cf/d to the Egyptian gas grid.

Cabinet approves bill for Egypt pipeline deal - CYPRUS MAIL

January 31, 2019
Elias Hazou

The cabinet on Thursday approved a bill governing an inter-state agreement with Egypt for the construction of a subsea natural gas pipeline crossing through the exclusive economic zones of the two nations.

The legislation follows through from, and sanctions, the inter-state pipeline agreement signed between Cyprus and Egypt in September 2018.

Energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis was authorised to submit the bill to parliament.

The development came amid media reports on Thursday evening claiming that ExxonMobil has located gas at its second drill site, dubbed ‘Glafcos’, in Block 10.

The report carried by Sigma could not be confirmed. The outlet said announcements of a find could be made in about 10 days’ time.


ExxonMobil declined to comment.

Summit Declaration of the Southern European Union Countries - REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

Nicosia, 29 January 2019 

1.We, the Heads of State or Government of Cyprus, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Malta, and Spain, have convened in Nicosia for the fifth Summit of the Southern European Union Countries.

2.Following our last Summit in Rome, we gathered today to reaffirm our profound commitment to the European project and our common values, such as the rule of law, freedom, democracy, human rights and solidarity and to address multiple challenges through continuous display of solidarity and collective responses at the EU level. We reaffirm our strong belief that, building our common European project upon a perspective for the Mediterranean as a region of peace, stability and prosperity, is in the interest of Europe as a whole.

3.Convinced that a strong and united European Union is the best way forward, we are determined to contribute constructively to the debate on our shared future. At the Sibiu Informal Summit, on 9 May 2019, we intend to provide guidance for the new legislative cycle and contribute to the Strategic Agenda for 2019-2024. We also anticipate a renewed commitment to a modernised EU that delivers on the issues that really matter to its citizens. We have paid close attention to the results of our intensive cycle of Citizens' Dialogues and Citizens' Consultations; in our work on the next Strategic Agenda, we will make our utmost in providing new and appropriate ways of engaging citizens and responding to their legitimate concerns.

MED-7 Summit in Nicosia set to focus on EU’s great challenges - CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

CNA - Cyprus/NICOSIA 29/01/2019 08:08

The 5th MED-7 Summit which will take place on Monday afternoon, in Nicosia, is set to focus on the great challenges the EU is faced with today, including the migration crisis, Brexit, energy security, the next multi-annual fiscal framework, developments in the euro area and climate change.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will host French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, in Nicosia.

In statements yesterday, Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said that “the seven countries share common interests.

Leviathan rig foundations reach Israel - GLOBES

27 Jan, 2019 12:22
Sonia Gorodeisky

The Leviathan partners said that the Leviathan project was advancing as planned and on schedule.

After a month-long trip from Texas to Israel, the foundations for the Jacket drilling platform for the Leviathan natural gas reservoir have reached their destination in Israel's territorial waters about 10 kilometers off Israel's shore. A campaign has been waged recently to move the platform further offshore on grounds of alleged environmental damage.

The foundation legs will be placed on the sea bottom in the next week and set in place with huge stakes. Underwater specialists will use a crane ship and other vessels in the work.

Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources Dr. Yuval Steinitz says that the arrival of the Leviathan platform base marks "the beginning of the last stage in development of the reservoir, the largest natural resource ever discovered in Israel.

Parliament committee approves gas pipeline construction between Egypt, Cyprus - EGYPT INDEPENDENT / AL-MASRY AL-YOUM

January 27, 2019, 1:49 pm

The Energy and Environment Committee of the House of Representatives on Sunday approved a presidential decree on an agreement between Egypt and Cyprus to build a direct natural gas pipeline, which was signed in Nicosia on September 19, 2018.

The agreement aims to facilitate the export of natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt through the establishment and operation of a direct sea pipeline from the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus, to natural gas liquefaction plants in Idku or Damietta in Egypt.

Mohamed Samir, member of the technical bureau of the Petroleum Ministry, said during the committee’s meeting that the ministry is working in full swing to turn Egypt into a regional center for natural gas trading.

Samir added that negotiations for the agreement lasted three years, and will encourage investors as it marks the beginning of further contracts and agreements to neighboring countries.

Head of the committee Talat al-Sewedy said that the agreement is very important as Cyprus is a gate for Egypt to export gas to EU countries.

Political cooperation will enhance East Med gas prospects - CYPRUS MAIL

JANUARY 27, 2019
Charles Ellinas

Politicians can’t do much about gas prices but removing political risk from a region certainly makes it more attractive to energy buyers

Commercial viability for gas in the East Med is market driven and not under the control of politicians, but the newly established East Med Gas Forum which includes Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus can only contribute to geopolitical cooperation in the region.

The energy ministers and representatives from Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority met in Cairo on January 14 and set up the East Med Gas Forum (EMGF). European Commission and World Bank representatives also attended the meeting as observers.

The forum will be based in Cairo, with the aim to be “an international organisation that respects the rights of members with respect to their natural resources in accordance with the principles of international law, and support their efforts to benefit from their reserves and use of infrastructure”. This also includes “commitment to paving the way for fruitful cooperation in the technical and economic fields, with a view to efficient exploitation of the gas potential in the region”.