Shell's Gaza Gas Field Sale Hits Problems - HART ENERGY / REUTERS

Friday, January 12, 2018 - 12:20pm

It may prove to be Royal Dutch Shell Plc's (NYSE: RDS.A) hardest sell. The Anglo-Dutch group is struggling to find a buyer for its gas field off the Gaza Strip, even among energy companies long used to dealing with projects fraught with political and security risks.

At least one European company has shown interest in the undeveloped Gaza Marine Field following a reconciliation deal in October between the two rival Palestinian factions, a source involved in the talks said.

But the firm's discussions over the field, located about 30 km (20 miles) off the Gaza coast, have ground to a halt since tensions in the wider region have taken a fresh turn for the worse, the source told Reuters.

"Until the political situation is resolved I really can't see anything happening here," he said.

Gaza Marine has long been seen as a golden opportunity for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority to join the Mediterranean gas bonanza, providing a major source of income to reduce its reliance on foreign aid.

Can Egypt’s Natural Gas Production Be Doubled By 2020? - HART ENERGY / STRATAS ADVISORS

Wednesday, July 26, 2017 - 12:18pm

This excerpt is from a report that is available to subscribers of Stratas Advisors’ Global Hydrocarbon Supply and Global Upstream Project Analytics services.

Egypt is the third largest natural gas producer in Africa and holds about 65 Tcf of proved natural gas reserves, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2017. But due to Egypt’s government paying low gas prices to foreign operators, it was getting more difficult to attract investments on developing new gas projects. Therefore, natural gas production had been under rapid decline from 5.9 Bcf/d in 2011 to 4.1 Bcf/d in 2016.

With significant natural gas reserves in the country, Egypt still needs to import natural gas from neighboring countries to satisfy domestic consumption, so Egypt’s government has agreed to pay a higher price to the foreign operators and encourage them to develop new natural gas discoveries, especially fields in the deepwater Mediterranean Sea and Nile Delta.

Mapping The Eastern Mediterranean Gas Puzzle - HART ENERGY / WOOD MACKENZIE

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 - 7:00am Bas Percival, Wood Mackenzie 

This year is set to be pivotal for the Eastern Mediterranean upstream sector, with players expected to position themselves on an ever-evolving chessboard of markets, exploration activity and pricing.

In many ways, 2016 laid the groundwork for the activity Wood Mackenzie expects to see this year. Israel implemented a regulatory framework that will speed the way toward final investment decision (FID) for the Leviathan development; progress on the super giant Zohr Field continued at breakneck speed following FID in February 2016; and Cyprus launched its third licensing round, garnering interest aplenty.

Leviathan Gears Up For Development Phase As Sanctioning Nears - HART ENERGY

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - 4:07pm
Velda Addison 

Work to develop the gigantic Leviathan Field in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Israel is progressing with project sanctioning expected sometime this quarter.

Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL) delivered an update on the field, which holds about 622 Bcm (22 Tcf) of natural gas, during a conference call Feb. 14 after releasing its fourth-quarter 2016 results and outlook for this year.

“We’re moving into the development phase now,” said J. Keith Elliott, senior vice president for Noble’s Eastern Mediterranean assets. “We have started procurement of the raw materials for both the subsea and the platform construction project.”

Egypt Pays Eni $650 Million Under Zohr Development Deal - HART ENERGY / REUTERS

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 - 2:09pm

Egypt paid its $630 million financial obligation in January to Italy's Eni to develop the biggest gas fields ever found in the Mediterranean, Rami Aboul Naga, assistant sub-governor for foreign reserves at the Central Bank of Egypt, told state news agency MENA on Feb. 7.

Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said in January Egypt was committed to repaying the $3.5 billion it owes in arrears to foreign oil companies, but a foreign currency shortage has made drawing down those debts more difficult.

Egypt's foreign reserves rose to $26.363 billion at the end of January, but were still about $10 billion less than the reserves before an uprising in 2011 ushered in a period of political turmoil, scaring away tourists and foreign investors, key sources of hard currency.

Israel’s Energy Director-General: ‘We’re Back In Business’ - HART ENERGY

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 - 4:23pm

Velda Addison 

HOUSTON—Home to massive gas discoveries such as the gigantic Leviathan Field and the nearby Tamar Field, which together hold more than 906 billion cubic meters (Bcm), or 32 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), of natural gas, Israel’s budding hydrocarbon scene could be poised to become the center of a natural gas hub.

That is, if oil and gas investors see the potential and are willing to put money into exploring, developing and producing hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean Sea.

This is exactly what Israeli energy officials hope will be the case as they showcase 24 Levant Basin blocks offered for exploration during the country’s first offshore bid round, which closes in March 2017.

With water depths ranging from 800 m to 1,800 m (2,625 ft to 5,906 ft), each block is up to 400 sq km (154 sq miles). Citing results from a study conducted by France-based Beicip-Franlab, officials say the “yet-to-find potential” in the Mesozoic and Tertiary reservoirs alone is 6.6 billion barrels of oil and 2,137 Bcm (75 Tcf) of gas.

Breakeven Rundown: Mediterranean, GoM Gas Outshine Others - HART ENERGY / STRATAS ADVISORS

Monday, November 28, 2016 - 3:00pm
Velda Addison

When it comes to breakeven prices for development projects targeting natural gas, the ultradeep water of the Mediterranean Sea and the deep U.S. Gulf of Mexico are hard to beat.

This is based on research conducted by Stratas Advisors, which studied the economics of about 150 natural gas assets worldwide.

“Driven by the low-cost Leviathan gas development with high well productivities offshore Israel, the breakeven price of the ultra-deepwater development is only about $1.5/Mcf [thousand cubic feet], much lower than its counterparts in the shallow-water and deepwater developments in Egypt and Libya, where the breakevens are around $4.4/Mcf and $3.8/Mcf,” the research and consulting company said in a report. “The low cost giant gas discovery Zohr, offshore Egypt, drives the average price down in the deepwater segment.”