Turkish-Israeli pipeline deal on the way? - HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

April/29/2017

“We could have Israeli gas in Turkey in the next three to four years,” said Shaul Meridor, the Israeli Energy Ministry’s director general, at the eighth annual Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit.

The delegations have been engaged in very constructive talks in the last couple of months, Meridor says, noting that a deal between the two governments could occur soon, once the technical and commercial aspects of the pipeline project to transport Israeli gas to Europe via Turkey are agreed upon.

When the energy ministers of both countries met on the sidelines of the World Energy Congress in October 2016 – which also marked the first ministerial-level visit since a reconciliation deal following the Mavi Marmara incident of 2010 – they agreed to establish working dialogue to explore the possibilities of carrying Israeli gas from the Leviathan gas field to Turkey via an undersea pipeline. This proposed pipeline would then be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) and thus reach European markets.

U.S. sees Greece as new energy hub of Europe - ABC.AZ

Obama's Greece visit in 2016

28.04.2017 17:35

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The U.S. sees Greece as a key country for gas supplies to the EU, and this was officially announced yesterday within the Istanbul Summit of the Atlantic Council.

So, the U.S. Ambassador in Athens Geoffrey Pyatt stated that there’s a real potential for Greece to emerge as a significant European energy hub if the opportunities that are present now can be locked in.

“This would be an important driver of investment, going forward, and would help to answer the question that Greeks are asking, which is what drives their economy going forward as they begin to come out of this seven year crisis period and lay the foundation for sustainable growth,” the ambassador said.

Bid To Be A Regional Energy Hub - INVESTING.COM / BNP PARIBAS

Apr 27, 2017 08:19AM ET
By BNP Paribas (Philippe d'Arvisenet) Market Overview

Egypt has laid out its vision to become a regional energy hub following discoveries of large offshore gas reserves in the East Mediterranean. This vision is critical as the energy sector remains the major driver of the country’s balance of payments. Recent developments suggest that Egypt has a clear potential to become a trading and export hub, notably for natural gas. However, the realisation of this ambition will depend on the country’s capacity to mitigate geopolitical, financial and regulatory risks. This should go hand in hand with energy diversification to reduce dependence on gas and sustain anticipated exports.

Swiss Court Fines Egypt $2 Billion, Muddies Mideast Gas Market - BLOOMBERG

27 April 2017, 7:54 μ.μ. EEST

Yaacov Benmeleh & Tamim Elyan

• Court says Egypt breached contract to supply gas to Israel
• Israel now hoping to export natural gas to southern neighbor

A Swiss court ordered Egyptian natural gas companies to pay Israel’s state-owned electricity provider $2 billion in fines for breach of previous contracts, a step that could complicate chances for the two nations to sign future gas deals as Israel seeks to become an energy exporter.

The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland said Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding were liable for the damages caused by repeated attacks on a pipeline through the Sinai Desert that supplied gas to its neighbor, Israel Electric Co. said in a text message Thursday. The Egyptian companies had appealed a previous ruling from Dec. 2015 that imposed a $1.73 billion penalty.

West Nile Delta flows first gas offshore Egypt - OFFSHORE MAGAZINE

04/27/2017
Offshore staff

LUXEMBOURG – Gas production has started ahead of schedule at BP’s West Nile Delta Phase One project offshore Egypt, according to Subsea 7.

The contractor, which provided SURF services for the project, continues to work on the West Nile Delta platform extension and tie-in and BP’s Atoll project in the same area.

Elsewhere, the company is preparing to complete the final offshore campaign later this year for Wintershall’s Maria subsea project in the Norwegian Sea.

Oil slides to one-month low as Libya restarts Sharara field - WORLD OIL

4/27/2017JESSICA SUMMERS & MARK SHENK

NEW YORK (Bloomberg) -- Oil declined to a one-month low as Libya reopened its biggest field and as the market weighs increases in U.S. product inventories and crude output.

Futures fell as much as 2.9% in New York. Crude from the Sharara field in Libya has started flowing to the Zawiya refinery, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Both U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles rose by the most since January last week, according to an Energy Information Administration report Wednesday. Nationwide crude output is at the highest level since August 2015.

President says natural gas discoveries in Cyprus' EEZ provide opportunities for cooperation - CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

27/04/2017 20:55 
CNA - CYPRUS/Nicosia

Discoveries of natural gas in Cyprus` exclusive economic zone provide opportunities for cooperation with third countries, in the region and beyond and this is why Cyprus has pursued effective collaboration with a number of neighbouring countries, including Egypt and Israel, President Nicos Anastasiades has said.

Addressing an event in New Delhi on Thursday organized by the Observer Research Foundation titled "The European Union – Indian Strategic Partnership in the 21st Century: A Cyprus Perspective", the President called on state or private companies from India to explore opportunities for partnerships with Cyprus or in collaboration with partner countries in the region.

TAQA to supply 1,300 cubic metres of gas to EBSC - DAILY NEWS EGYPT

27 April 2017
Mohamed Farag

Company is negotiating with Electricity Ministry to provide 9MW to the plant

The Egyptian Black Sand Company (EBSC) signed a contract with TAQA Petroleum Services Company to supply 1,300 cubic metres of gas per day to the black sand separation plant in Kafr Al-Sheikh.

Major general Ashraf Soltan, chairperson of the EBSC, said that the company contracted with TAQA to provide the gas necessary to run the separation plant and establish an external pipeline.

According to the feasibility study of the project, the total cost of gas delivery to the plant will reach EGP 19m. The project will be implemented over 8 to 12 months.

ENERGY BRIEF EGYPT Weekly Publication Issue 23 - April 18-20 2017 - EGYPT OIL & GAS (EOG)

ENERGY BRIEF EGYPT - EOG Weekly Publication - Issue 23 - April 18-20 2017 - DOWNLOAD HERE

Dana Gas completes first international condensate sale in Egypt - DANA GAS PJSC

Sharjah, UAE; 26 April 2017

Company set to receive full payment in US dollars for export cargo

Dana Gas PJSC ("Company"), the Middle East's largest regional natural gas company, has today achieved an important milestone with the first international sale of condensate in Egypt under the Gas Production Enhancement Agreement (GPEA).

The first cargo is approximately 150,000 barrels of Wastani condensate and was loaded on 15 April 2017. The buyer has issued a letter of credit and payment amounting US$ 7.2 million will be made to Dana Gas directly in USD. The cargo is the first to be directly exported by Dana Gas under the GPEA signed with the Egyptian government in August 2014. The cash proceeds generated from the Government's share of the incremental condensate sales will be used to start paying-down the outstanding receivables owed to Dana Gas by the Egyptian Government.

China Development Bank keen to finance petroleum projects in Egypt - ZAWYA

26 APRIL, 2017
Mahmoud Shaaban

The China Development Bank (CDB) is keen to finance petroleum and gas projects in Egypt, a delegation from the bank told Egyptian Oil Minister Tarek el-Molla on Tuesday.

The CDB delegation explored with Minister el-Molla possibilities of offering facilities to finance petroleum projects in Egypt.

Lebanon prequalifies eight more energy firms for offshore blocks - REUTERS

Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:42am GMT(Reporting By Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall; Editing by Edmund Blair)

BEIRUT, April 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon's government has prequalified eight more companies to bid for its first round of offshore exploration and production licences after prequalifying 46 companies in 2013, Energy and Water Minister Cesar Abou Khalil said on Wednesday.

The bidding process for offshore blocks 1, 4, 8, 9 and 10, three of which border Israeli waters, was postponed for years because of political paralysis in Lebanon until the formation of a new government late last year.

Commencement of Abu Sennan drilling campaign - ROCKHOPPER EXPLORATION

26 April 2017

Rockhopper Exploration plc (AIM: RKH), the oil and gas company with key interests in the North Falkland Basin and the Greater Mediterranean region, is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2017 drilling campaign on the Abu Sennan Concession in Egypt in which the Company has a 22% working interest.

Exploration well Al Jahraa SE-2X, situated on the recently awarded Abu Sennan-5 (Al Jahraa South East) Development Lease, was spudded on 25 April 2017 by the Operator Kuwait Energy as part of a two-well drilling campaign.

The well will target the Cretaceous Abu Roash-C reservoir in the fault block immediately to the south of the Al Jahraa South East discovery location where, if successful, it could add over 20 mmbbls of STOIIP to the development lease.

Energy spending will total USD 75 bn for the next four years - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Egypt will need USD 75 bn to develop its energy sector between 2018 and 2022, according to the development strategies of both the Electricity and Oil ministries. USD 45 bn will need to be spent on developing the electricity sector, with a long term plan to generate 51.7 GW by 2030. 

From the looks of the plan — formulated by consultancy firm SOFRECO — most of that spending will be geared towards building up capacity of coal power, whose spending will reach USD 38.6 bn until 2030, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker tells Al Borsa. 

Condor Petroleum provides operations update on Poyraz Ridge gas field in Turkey - HYDROCARBONS TECHNOLOGY

Apr 25, 2017

Condor Petroleum has announced that construction of the Poyraz Ridge 15 million square cubic feet a day (mmscfd) gas processing facility in Turkey is proceeding to schedule, with the first gas being targeted mid-year.

In an operations update, the company also stated that all major gas processing equipment has been installed and the remaining components will arrive in the next few weeks.

Installations of the inter-field gas gathering lines and electrical power lines have been completed at the facility.

Delek Group looks to sell 10 pct stake in Tamar gas field - REUTERS AFRICA

Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:07am GMT
Ari Rabinovitch

JERUSALEM, April 25 (Reuters) - Israeli conglomerate Delek Group said on Tuesday it intends to sell up to a 10 percent stake in the large offshore field Tamar, Israel's main supply of natural gas.

SEE HERE THE PRESS RELEASE

Delek Group subsidiaries Delek Drilling and Avner Oil will each sell up to five percent of their stakes in Tamar, as well as the smaller field Dalit.

Delek said in a statement a new corporation will be set up that will sell securities, including bonds, on the Tel Aviv bourse, to raise money to buy the stake in the gas fields.

Fresh attempt to secure gas for electricity production - CYPRUS MAIL

The gas will most likely be processed aboard a Floating Storage
 & Regasification Unit (FSRU)

April 24, 2017

Elias Hazou

The government is said to be considering launching yet another tender to secure natural gas for electricity production, with decisions expected in early May.

According to daily Politis, the terms of the new tender will be different to previous ones – which fizzled out – in two key areas.

First, the tender is to be split up into two contracts, one for supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the other for processing the fuel.

Bulgaria May Seek More Time To Reply To Gazprom Concessions - RIGZONE / REUTERS

Monday, April 24, 2017

Tsvetelia Tsolova; editing by Mark Potter

SOFIA, April 24 (Reuters) - Bulgaria may need more time to respond to concessions proposed by Russian gas giant Gazprom in an EU antitrust case, its energy minister said on Monday, adding that while Sofia saw the concessions as positive it would like to see them expanded.

A provisional agreement announced last month would see Gazprom avoid a fine of up to 10 percent of its global turnover over EU charges it abused its dominant market position and overcharged clients in eight eastern European nations.

The deal is subject to feedback from EU states and market players that should be sent by May 4 and could still be amended or even abandoned.

Fools Rush In: Europe Pursues Israel Gas Deal for Political Not Economic Reasons - SPUTNIK NEWS

24.04.2017  17:06 

An Israel-Europe gas pipeline deal elevates Israel to the status of a major Mediterranean energy exporter. However, critics suggest the move is about more than mere economics, and serves a number of greater geopolitical objectives - namely, immunizing Israel from criticism and sanctions, and damaging relations between Europe and Russia further.

Ministers from Israel, Greece, Italy and Cyprus, as well as the European Union Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, signed a joint declaration in April, codifying a commitment to constructing a gas pipeline that will bring newly discovered natural gas in Israel to Europe.

The pipeline, described by Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz as "the longest and deepest subsea gas pipeline in the world," is expected to be in operation by 2025.

Turkish natural gas demand slowdown set to persist as Ankara shifts tack: OIES report - PLATTS

London (Platts)--24 Apr 2017 852 am EDT/1252 GMTBy Stuart Elliott, Edited by Dan Lalor
Turkish gas demand -- which five years ago was expected to almost double to 81 Bcm/year by 2030 -- is unlikely to even reach 60 Bcm/year in the near future as a result of a deliberate effort by Ankara to reduce the country's dependence on imported gas, a paper published Monday by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies concludes.

Turkish gas demand fell last year for the first time since 2009 to 46 Bcm and is expected to be stagnant this year as Turkey looks to depend more on domestic resources for power generation, particularly hydro, coal, lignite, and wind and solar energy, the OIES said in the report.

The OIES said it expects a fall in gas consumption in the power sector in 2017 to be balanced by moderate growth in the residential and industry sectors.

Cyprus President is coming to India, with a Gandhi and a lot more to offer - INDIAN EXPRESS

April 24, 2017 3:58 am, Nicosia

Sanghamitra Mazumdar 

Gandhi is revered in Cyprus and the painting reflects the relationship India has had with the European nation for decades

The Rashtrapati Bhawan will soon have another Mahatma Gandhi portrait, this one by acclaimed artist George Georgiou. The work of art will be gifted to President Pranab Mukherjee by Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, who begins a four-day tour to India on April 25 with ministers and trade delegates.

Gandhi is revered in Cyprus and the painting reflects the relationship India has had with the European nation for several decades now. The two countries share a British colonial past and have subsequently enjoyed good diplomatic ties. India supported Cyprus in its struggle for independence, which the latter got in 1960, and has continued to vote at the United Nations for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus dispute since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Hot summer for gas - IN CYPRUS / CYPRUS WEEKLY

April 23, 2017

George Telaveris

While Cyprus waits for Total to start exploratory drilling for natural gas in offshore Block 11 in July, Israel is close to selling natural gas to Turkey, risking a flare-up over the right to send gas to Turkey through the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Israel energy minister Yuval Steinitz told Bloomberg in March that a deal between Israel and Turkey was expected in the coming months.

“The purpose is to conclude by this summer a government-to-government agreement on a gas pipeline stretching from Israel to Turkey, in order to export natural gas from Israel and also the vicinity, to Turkey,” Steinitz said.

President Sisi underlines importance of developing Egypt’s petroleum sector - ENERGY EGYPT / STATE INFORMATION SERVICE

April 23, 2017

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi highlighted on Thursday 20/04/2017 the importance of developing the petroleum and mineral wealth sector in Egypt, as a cornerstone of national economy.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla, the president urged attracting more foreign investments in this field.

He also highlighted the necessity of accelerating efforts for starting production of natural gas in recently discovered fields and removing all obstacles facing developers and investors in these fields, Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said.

Egypt plans to defer shipments of LNG causing jitters in world market - ENTERPRISE PRESS

Sunday, 23 April 2017

There are jitters in the LNG market over Egypt’s planned deferral of some 25 shipments of LNG this year and more in 2018, various sources tell Reuters.

The nation’s appetite for LNG imports will decrease further once Egypt’s major gas developments come online, starting with the supergiant Zohr field this fall.

Only a small portion of the deferrals have so far been agreed with Egypt’s LNG suppliers so far.

Energy Boost Success - IN CYPRUS / CYPRUS WEEKLY

April 22, 2017
Charles Ellinas

With the collapse of global oil prices, the question just over a year ago was ‘is this the end of the shale boom?’ A year later, technology and OPEC’s production cuts have breathed new life into the US shale oil industry.

This revival has a global impact and is one of the factors keeping global oil and gas prices low, which also impacts development of East Med hydrocarbons.

A period of low oil prices forced the US shale industry to cut costs and boost efficiency. Over the last two years US shale companies re-organised and reshaped themselves into more efficient and fitter, lower cost, companies, precisely in response to the difficult times they went through.

Pipelines and Pipedreams - ECFR

HOW THE EU CAN SUPPORT A REGIONAL GAS HUB IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Tareq Baconi

• Large natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean have raised hopes that the region could serve EU energy needs, helping it to fulfil its goals of energy diversification, security, and resilience.
• But there are commercial and political hurdles in the way. Cyprusʼs reserves are too small to be commercially viable and Israel needs a critical mass of buyers to begin full-scale production. Regional cooperation – either bilaterally or with Egypt – is the only way the two countries will be able to export.
• Egypt is the only country in the region that could export gas to Europe independently because of the size of its reserves and its existing export infrastructure. But energy sector reforms will be needed to secure investor confidence in this option.
• There are now two options for regional export: to build a pipeline that connects Israel and Cyprus to southern Europe, or to create a network of pipelines into Egypt, from which gas could be liquefied and exported.
• The EU should explore regional prospects by strengthening its energy diplomacy, developing more projects of common interest, working to resolve the Turkey-Cyprus dispute, and incentivising reforms in Egypt.

ECFR - PIPELINES AND PIPEDREAMS - TAREQ BACONI

Italy court revokes order that had halted work on TAP pipeline: lawyer - REUTERS

Thu Apr 20, 2017 | 10:11am EDT
Reporting by Giancarlo Navach, writing by Stephen Jewkes

An Italian court has revoked an order that had halted work to remove olive trees from the pathway of a strategic pipeline that will bring central Asian gas into Europe, a lawyer involved in the case said on Thursday.

The decision paves the way for work to restart on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which is slated to bring 10 billion cubic metres of gas from Azerbaijan into the small Italian seaside town of San Foca in Apulia by 2020.

Opposition from the local town council and the regional government of Apulia has caused a series of delays to the project.

Eni-operated Libyan oil field said to reopen after two-year halt - WORLD OIL / BLOOMBERG

April/20/2017
Saleh Sarrar

TRIPOLI (Bloomberg) -- Libya’s El-Feel oil field, operated by a venture between Eni SpA and the state producer, reopened after a two-year halt in operations that crimped the OPEC nation’s output, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The field, also known as Elephant, re-opened on Wednesday, said the person, who asked not to be identified because of a lack of authorization to speak to media. It hasn’t resumed pumping oil yet because of an electricity outage, Petroleum Facilities Guard Brigadier Idris Bukhamada said by phone. Authorities are working to resolve the power stoppage soon, he said.

Oil Majors See Huge Opportunity In Eastern Mediterranean - OIL PRICE / DRILLING INFO

Apr 20, 2017, 2:44 PM CDT
By Drilling Info

Quite suddenly, there is remarkable oil industry news to come out of the East Mediterranean region. If the plan is executed, in the space of seven years the balance of energy security in Western Europe will be radically changed. In geopolitical terms, this will be immense; when the planned Israel-Cyprus-Greece-Italy gas pipeline is built, European countries will be able to cut their ever-increasing dependence on Russian gas supplies.

The story of major gas discoveries in the East Mediterranean started in the shallow-water offshore Egypt, with Miocene Nile Delta discoveries progressively stepping out into deeper and deeper water. The first discovery was made by Phillips Petroleum in 1969, when it drilled the play-opening Abu Qir 1 NFW. It discovered gas in the Messinian Abu Madi sandstones. Subsequent exploration was led by the likes of AMOCO, BG, BP, Eni and Shell. There are now over 100 mainly gas and wet gas fields in the offshore Egyptian Nile Delta, with all production being piped onshore. The story continues to the present day, with recent large discoveries in the deeper Oligocene play, such as Salamat (2013) and Atoll (2015), alongside large Messinian discoveries including Nooros (2015) and Baltim South West (2016).

Japan Bank for International Cooperation considers investing in petrochemicals projects - ENTERPRISE / AMAY

Thursday, 20 April 2017

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation is considering investing in new petrochemicals projects on the back of its successful contributions in key projects, including the Egyptian Refining Company’s refinery, said the head of the bank’s Europe and Middle East Division at a meeting with Oil Minister Tarek El Molla on Wednesday, AMAY reports.

Challenging period for Medserv - TIMES OF MALTA

Thursday, April 20, 2017, 00:01

Edward Rizzo

On April 5, Medserv plc published its 2016 financial statements as well as its updated Financial Analysis Summary which included the 2017 financial forecasts. Moreover, the UK-based research house, Edison Investment Research, published an updated view on Medserv followingthese announcements.

The 2016 results are reflective of the volatile industry in which Medserv operates as various industry-wide factors adversely impacted the group’s performance. Moreover, for the first time, the 2016 financial statements also included the contribution from the Mets Group following the acquisition of the Middle Eastern Group of Companies in February 2016.

Bechtel awarded two contracts for petchem project in Egypt - HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

4/19/2017

HOUSTON -- Bechtel, a company in engineering, procurement, and construction, announced that the company has been awarded two contracts by Carbon Holdings of Egypt: one to provide project management services for the Tahrir Petrochemicals Complex at Ain Sokhna, Egypt, and one to build two new polypropylene units at an adjacent site. In its project management role, Bechtel will have oversight of project execution and contractor performance on what will be the largest petrochemicals complex in Egypt.

"For decades we have partnered with customers, contractors, and suppliers in Egypt and the region to safely deliver quality industrial facilities. These awards allow us to continue the legacy with the delivery of world-class facilities for Carbon Holdings," said Joe Thompson, general manager of Bechtel's Downstream and Chemicals business. "At the same time, the project will use goods and services from the United States, supporting jobs and creating opportunities for small businesses in the country."

Athens calm over Turkey referendum, but keeping eye on Cyprus - KATHIMERINI

 18.04.2017 : 21:04

Athens appeared relatively calm on Tuesday after the results of Sunday’s referendum in Turkey – which expanded the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – as the nationalist rhetoric emanating from Ankara in the run-up to the vote is expected to subside, at least in the short term.

In a neutral statement, the government limited itself to saying that the will of the Turkish people must be respected. However, Erdogan’s announcement that national elections in Turkey will go ahead as planned in 2019 has sparked concern that there may be a new round of incendiary rhetoric.

ENERGY BRIEF EGYPT - Issue 22 - 2017 April 9-13 - EGYPT OIL & GAS

ENERGY BRIEF EGYPT - EOG Weekly Publication Issue 22 9 April to 13 April

Re-sailing of ‘Barbaros’ offshore Cyprus a ‘provocation’ - IN CYPRUS / CYPRUS WEEKLY

April 18, 2017

The re-sailing on Monday of Turkish research vessel ‘Barbaros’ within divided Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone is a provocation, Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides told Active FM radio on Tuesday.

But Nicosia refuses to fall into the trap of a possible new Turkish communication game that could cast a doubt over the island’s sovereign rights, he added.

“We trust our actions, and we also trust actions taken by neighbouring states and by states of the EU,” he also said.

"We want to diversify our gas supply" - GLOBES

European Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete (right), with
ministers from Cyprus, Italy, Israel & Greece

3 Apr, 2017 18:36
Nati Yefet

European Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete explains why financing a gas pipeline from Israel might be worth Europe's while.

Energy relations between Europe and Russia can be described as the golden pipeline. Russia is the largest and most stable supplier of natural gas to Europe, despite the unease of European political leaders. Last year, Russian energy company Gazprom supplied 178 BCM of natural gas to Europe, representing 40% of the continent's total consumption, at the competitive price of $4.5 on average per thermal unit (mmBTU). This power brings Gazprom business ties with many European energy companies, and no change in its status appears to be on the horizon.

SDX Energy strikes pay at South Disouq concession in Egypt - WORLD OIL

4/17/2017

LONDON -- SDX Energy Inc., the North Africa focused oil and gas company, announced that drilling on the carried SD-1X well at its South Disouq concession, where it hold s a 55% equity interest and is operator in the Nile Delta area of Egypt has reached its first target depth.

The SD-1X well is targeting gas in the upper Abu-Madi section, and oil from the deeper Abu Roash and AEB horizon. To date, the well has been drilled to a total depth of 7,777 ft, reaching its first target depth in the Abu Madi.

The Company is pleased to announce that during drilling, conventional natural gas bearing horizons were encountered in the Abu Madi. The well encountered 65 ft of net pay section with an average porosity of 25%. The results are in line with pre-drill estimates. Additional evaluation work is currently underway to provide an accurate recoverable volume estimate, which will be the subject of a subsequent release.

Azerbaijan foreign minister, SOCAR vice-president for Malta visit - MALTA TODAY

17 April 2017, 8:31am

The foreign minister of Azerbaijan will lead a delegation in a visit to the Maltese prime minister later on this afternoon, in a three-day visit.

The 6:30pm visit from Elmar Mammadyarov, which includes executives from the state oil and gas company SOCAR, was revealed by Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Over the weekend, her allegations of money transfers from an Azerbaijan bank account to the Panama offshore companies held by the PM’s chief of staff Keith Schembri and minister Konrad Mizzi were instantly met with two libel actions.

Russian Gazprom increases gas supplies to Turkey by 25% - CONSTRUCTION.RU

17.04.2017 15:47
Tatiana Kanunnikova

Gazprom, a Russian gas giant, has increased exports of blue fuel to Turkey by 25%, the company said on Monday.

“From 1 January to 15 April 2017, the supply of Russian gas has increased to many countries outside the former Soviet Union. In particular, to Turkey and the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe. Thus, exports to Turkey compared to the same period in 2016 has grown by 25%, to Hungary — by 31.5%, to Serbia — by 32.5%, Bulgaria — by 20.9%,” — the message released by Gazprom reads.

As it was previously reported, Gazprom increased gas exports to countries outside the former Soviet Union in the period from 1 January to 15 April 2017 by 14.7%, up to 58.5 billion cubic meters.

Gulmira Rzayeva: "Azerbaijan will ensure Europe's energy security for many years to come" - VESTNIK KAVKAZA

Apr 16 - 10:00 am

Leading expert on energy issues of the Strategic Studies Center under Azerbaijani President, expert of the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, Gulmira Rzaeva, discussed the future of Azerbaijani pipeline project Southern Gas Corridor and prospects of the development of European and Turkish gas markets as main consumers of Azerbaijani gas in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.

- Can other, alternative gas projects become competitors with the Southern Gas Corridor?

DESFA-AlbGaz to form joint venture for TAP pipeline in Albania - ANA-MPA

13/ 04/ 2017

Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator S.A (DESFA) and Albania's AlbGaz have agreed to set up a joint venture to operate and maintain the sections of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in Albania. 

A memorandum of understanding signed by DESFA CEO Sotirios Nikas and AlbGaz CEO Klodian Gradeci in Tirana on Wednesday calls for the transfer of knowhow from DESFA to the new venture, which will be based in the Albanian capital.

Details on the new company's corporate structure will be decided by a working group set up for this purpose in the coming weeks.

Turkey Sees No Need for Cyprus to Approve Israel Gas Pipeline - RIGZONE / BLOOMBERG

Thursday, April 13, 2017
David Wainer

(w/ assistance from Paul Tugwell, Georgios Georgiou and Selcan Hacaoglu)

(Bloomberg) -- A Turkey-Israel gas pipeline deal could be built through Cyprus’ economic waters even without Cypriot consent, a Turkish official said, dismissing what some experts see as a key obstacle to an energy deal between the two Mediterranean countries.

Cyprus can’t block a gas pipeline from Israel to Turkey, and gas talks with Israel don’t hinge on attempts to reach a peace deal in Cyprus, the Turkish official said, requesting anonymity because the matter is sensitive. A pipeline bringing gas from Israel’s Leviathan field to Turkey would need to pass through Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone and the Cypriots would be informed about the plans, but international maritime law allows the pipeline to be laid even without Cyprus’s consent, he said.

Cyprus-talk restart lifts hope for gas line - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Apr. 12 2017
By OGJ editors

Prospects improved for construction of a natural gas pipeline between East Mediterranean fields and Turkey Apr. 11 when negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus resumed after a 54-day break.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader (Note: of Cyprus' largely secular Turkish Cypriot minority) Mustafa Akinci scheduled four meetings during the next month and a half but set no deadline for an agreement.

EC’s Director General meets with Finance and Petroleum Ministers - ENTERPRISE / EGYPT'S MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Finance Minister Amr El Garhy discussed cooperating with the European Commission on improving the country’s tax system with its Director GeneralChristian Danielsson on Wednesday. The commission’s delegation expressed interest in providing technical and financial support to improve the efficiency of Egypt’s tax collection, and helping bring up revenues in line with economic performance, according to a ministry statement.

The European delegation also sat down with Oil Minister Tarek El Molla to discuss implementing the Natural Gas Act, which would deregulate Egypt’s gas market and see the state take on the role of regulator. They discussed the possibility of the EU funding more sustainable energy projects, according to a statement from the ministry.

EU backs Israel-to-Italy pipeline to alter East Med energy chessboard - HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Ministers of Cyprus, Italy, Israel & Greece, with EU Commissioner 

April/13/2017
Micha'el Tanchum

On April 3, the European Union and the governments of Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Israel pledged their support for the construction of the world’s longest undersea natural gas pipeline to transport Eastern Mediterranean gas to EU markets via Greece and Italy. Costing over $6 billion, the more than 2,000-kilometer mega-pipeline could transform the energy geopolitics of the region. The so-called Cross-Med (East Med) pipeline would reduce the EU’s reliance on Turkey’s Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) as the major supply route for non-Russian natural gas.

NOC: Libya's Wafa Oil And Gas Field Reopens, Force Majeure Lifted - RIGZONE / REUTERS

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Reporting: Ahmed Elumami; Writing: Aidan Lewis, Patrick Markey; Editing: Susan Thomas

TRIPOLI, April 12 (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) has lifted force majeure on production from the Wafa field after an armed group reopened oil and gas pipelines leading to the Mellitah terminal, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Production of oil, gas and condensates had been interrupted at Wafa by a shutdown that started on March 26 near the town of Nalut. Wafa is operated by Mellitah Oil Co, a joint venture between NOC and Italy's ENI.

The reopening would allow Mellitah to restore production of about 450 million cubic feet of gas, 9,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil, and 7,500 bpd of condensate, NOC said.

Turkey gas exploration raises eyebrows - KATHIMERINI

President Anastasiades of Cyprus (middle) with the leaders of
the other six southern EU nations

12.04.2017 : 21:52
Vassilis Nedos

Tensions between Nicosia and Ankara could escalate next week as there are fears that Turkish plans to perform deep-sea drilling and seismic surveys for oil and natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean could be carried out within Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where the island’s government announced on Tuesday it will conduct its own research.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak has said that his country will launch exploration – as early as next week – in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, and that it will be conducting more active two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys in both locations.

Nicosia announces start of seismic surveys - TEKMOR MONITOR

Cyprus announced the start of seismic surveys in its exclusive economic zone, in blocks 6, 8, 9 and 11, whose licenses are held by oil majors ENI and Total, to be conducted by PSG's R/V “RAMFORM HYPERION”. The NAVTEX follows.

07 1800 UTC APR 2017 

JRCC LARNACA/CYPRUS RADIO NAV WRNG NR 136/17

SEISMIC SURVEYS BY R/V RAMFORM HYPERION FROM 07 APR 2017 TO 15 AUG 2017 WITHIN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS IN AREA BOUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: 

Egypt to import 1 million barrels of crude oil a month from Iraq - EGYPT INDEPENDENT / REUTERS

Lukoil logo In West Qurna oilfield, Basra, Iraq, March 29, 2014.

Wed, 12/04/2017 - 15:11

The Cabinet has agreed to import one million barrels of Iraqi oil a month, Minister of Petroleum Tareq el-Molla announced.

The contract for the deal will be signed within days, he added in a press conference on Tuesday at the Cabinet headquarters.

Molla expectes the first shipment to reach Egypt on May 1. The ship capacity is up to two million barrels. A total of 12 shipments will reach Egypt a year, he added.

Azerbaijan president: gas pipeline to EU will not be stopped - CLIMATE HOME

11/04/2017, 9:47am
Karl Mathiesen

Environmental protests against the $46bn Southern Gas Corridor are baseless, says Ilham Aliyev, who expects to begin exporting gas through the pipeline by 2018

A massive pipeline linking Azerbaijan’s gas fields to the networks of Europe is an inevitability, Azeri president Ilham Aliyev has told his cabinet.

“The implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor is already a reality. True, there are those who want to prevent us. It is natural. We came across these ten years ago,” said Aliyev, as reported by the Azerbaijan Press Agency on Tuesday.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the world’s largest fossil fuel projects, with a projected construction cost of $46bn.

Libya halts Sharara oil loadings as biggest field stops pumping - WORLD OIL / BLOOMBERG

April/10/2017

Salma Alma El Wardany and Saleh Sarrar

CAIRO and DUBAI (Bloomberg) -- Libya’s biggest oil field stopped producing just one week after it reopened, forcing the OPEC member to declare force majeure at a key export terminal, the latest disruptions to the country’s output and shipments of crude.

The pipeline carrying crude from Sharara, Libya’s biggest field, to the Zawiya refinery stopped operating on Sunday, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak to the media. It wasn’t clear why the pipeline was shut. The National Oil Corp. declared force majeure on loadings of Sharara crude from the Zawiya oil terminal, citing a halt in production at the field, according to a copy of the NOC’s decree obtained by Bloomberg.

TransGlobe Energy Corporation Announces Q1 2017 Operations Update - TRANSGLOBE ENERGY CORPORATION

April 10, 2017

TransGlobe Energy Corporation (Calgary, Alberta) announced an operational update. Below the Egypt related section. For the complete press release click the link below.

Total Company production averaged 16,841 Boepd in March, comprised of 14,152 Bopd in Egypt and 2,689 Boepd in Canada (57% light oil and liquids). Total Company production averaged approximately 16,672 Boepd in the first quarter, comprised of 13,941 Bopd in Egypt and 2,731 Boepd in Canada (57% light oil and liquids). This is an increase over the first quarter 2016 of approximately 38% including the Canadian acquisition or a 17% increase in Egyptian production.

Shale Gas And Its Impact On Turkish Economy – OpEd - EURASIA REVIEW

April 10, 2017
Haluk Direskeneli

“Shale Gas” is on the agenda. What is “Shale gas”? Is Shale Gas production as easy as you might think? Is it cheap? Do we have it in our environment? Can we produce? What is the cost of Shale Gas production? What happens to the environment in Shale Gas production process?

Shale gas is basically natural gas. Only the thermal calorific value is a bit low. Shale gas production is same as Natural Gas production by non-traditional, non-conventional method. The soil structure “thin-bedded, rich in organic matter”, is suitable for producing oil and gas is called “Shale”.

“Shale Gas” is the method of taking the Natural Gas that is trapped between the deep underground rocks. Shale Oil (Shale Petroleum) are removed by the same methods. Shale Gas and Shale Oil production technology are not new practice. Since 1947 there has been market practice in the United States.