Egypt Achieves 800 Oil And Gas Discoveries In 15 Years - HOW AFRICA

5 April 2018

Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry achieved around 800 new oil and gas discoveries starting fiscal year (FY) 2001/02 and until 2015/16. During this period, the ministry achieved 520 crude oil discoveries, according to figures from state statistics agency CAPMAS.

Fiscal years 2011/12 and 2012/13 saw the largest crude oil discoveries, with an average of 57 discoveries each year, followed by FY 2013/14 with an average of 41 discoveries.
In its recently launched report “Egypt in Figures 2018”, CAPMAS showed that FY 2015/16 saw the smallest amount of discoveries.

As for gas discoveries, fiscal years 2007/08 and 2012/13 saw the biggest gas discoveries, realizing 26 and 29 discoveries respectively.

The giant offshore Zohr gas field is one of the most significant gas discoveries in Egypt and the Mediterranean region.

Discovered by Italian energy company ENI in 2015, Zohr gas field has an area of 100 square meters and a depth of 1,450 meters.

Eni in December delivered the first gas from Zohr field, whose estimated 30 trillion cubic feet (tfc) makes it the biggest gas field in the Mediterranean.

Exclusive - Italy's Edison launches spin-off of oil & gas unit: sources - REUTERS

APRIL 4, 2018 / 3:17 PM
Clara Denina, Ron Bousso

LONDON (Reuters) - Italian energy group Edison (EDNn.MI), part of French utility EDF (EDF.PA), is preparing the sale of its oil and gas unit, the latest power producer to abandon fossil fuels to focus on its retail business, four industry sources said.

Edison has selected investment banks Rothschild (ROTH.PA) and Perella Weinberg to organise an auction for the exploration and production division, which could be valued at $2 billion (1.43 billion pounds) to $3 billion, one of the sources said.

The company has been looking to increase the size of its domestic electricity and gas retail business, betting on the market opening up to more competition, with retail energy customers increasingly able to chose their supplier.

Edison and EDF declined to comment. Rothschild declined to comment. Perella Weinberg did not respond to a request for comment.

Cyprus in talks with ENI-Total on Calypso timetable - CYPRUS MAIL

APRIL 2, 2018

Elias Hazou

The government is in talks with the consortium of ENI-Total regarding their timetable for an appraisal, or follow-up drill at the Calypso gas prospect in offshore block 6, energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Monday.

At the same time, he added, the government is discussing with ENI the latter’s broader exploration programme in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“ENI is a big regional player, it has concessions on several[offshore] blocks, and we are discussing with them their exploration programme,” Lakkotrypis told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Nicosia.

In February, ENI announced that it made a discovery of lean gas off the coast of Cyprus after drilling an exploratory well at Calypso. The company said it believed the gas play to hold around 6 to 8 trillion cubic feet.

UK to get LNG cargo from Egypt - LNG WORLD NEWS

LNG vessel 'Maran Gas Apollonia'

2 April 2018

The United Kingdom is expected to receive a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Shell-operated Idku liquefaction plant in Egypt, according to the port data.

The 161,870-cbm Maran Gas Apollonia, owned by Maran Nakilat and chartered by the Hague-based LNG giant Shell, is expected to dock at the Dragon LNG import facility in the Port of Milford Haven on March 8, the port’s shipping data showed on Monday.

The LNG tanker was on Monday located in the Mediterranean Sea, according to its AIS data.

Egypt, that has two LNG export plants, Idku and Damietta, has turned a net gas importer from an exporter over the course of 2016 due to falling domestic production.

However, the rising production at newly discovered gas fields has pushed the country towards halting LNG imports sooner than it was initially anticipated and boosted the prospects for Egypt to regain net LNG exporter status again.

One of the fields that recently started production is the giant Eni-operated Zohr gas field in the Shorouk Block, offshore Egypt approximately 190 km north of Port Said.

It is the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea, and will be able to satisfy a part of Egypt’s natural gas demand for decades to come, according to Italian energy giant Eni.

Production from Zohr gas field to reach 1.8B cfd in September - EGYPT TODAY

Sun, Apr. 1, 2018

CAIRO – 1 April 2018: Egypt plans to boost production from its giant offshore Zohr gas field to 700 million cubic feet a day (cfd) in May and to 1.8 billion cfd in September, an official source in the petroleum sector said Sunday.

He said that pre-operation tests have been initiated for the field’s first and second production lines and that mechanical and electrical installations for both lines are almost complete.

The second line will start operation in June, with a capacity of 350 million cfd, while the third and fourth lines will enter production in July and August respectively, bringing total production from the field to 1.4 billion cfd.

Cabinet approves establishment of Nuweiba freezone - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 1 April 2018

CABINET WATCH- The Ismail Cabinet approved yesterday the establishment of a freezone in Nuweiba and will offer investment incentives there including 50% tax cuts for three years. The 1 mn sqm zone is expected to see as much as USD 40 mn in infrastructure-related investment, South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda said yesterday. The freezone is part of the government’s Sinai development strategy, which relies significantly on attracting local and Arab investors to the peninsula to spur growth, Investment Minister Sahar Nasr told reporters yesterday.

The ministers also signed off on legislation allowing the oil minister to sign oil exploration and production agreements in Ras Qattara with the EGPC, the International Egyptian Oil Company, and Croatian oil and gas company INA; in in the Gulf of Suez’s North Zaafarana concession with Zaafarana Petroleum Company, Oceaneer Zaafarana, and Sahary for Oil and Gas; and in the West Delta Deep Water Concession with Shell and PICL Egypt Corporation. 

Is the TAP, a project of national and geopolitical importance, at stake? - IBNA

30-03-2018, 21:13
Nefeli Tzanetakou

Construction of the Greek section of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline natural gas pipeline is proceeding rapidly, with the aim of completing the project within the foreseen timetable, that is within 2018.

According to Katerina Papalexandri, the project manager for Greece, the construction from Evros Gardens to the Greek-Albanian borders in Kristalopigi, Kastoria, will have been completed by November 2018.

After that, the testing period is expected sometime by mid-2019, a moment when hydrocarbons will become part of the project, and in 2020 the TAP pipeline will be ready for commercial operation.

The pipeline will initially transfer 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year, from the Shah Deniz deposit in Azerbaijan to Europe, with a potential for doubling the capacity to 20 billion cubic meters, while it will be connected with the Greek gas system at three spots (in Pella, Kastoria and Kozani).

South Ramadan group to seek rig for development drilling - OFFSHORE MAGAZINE

March/29/2018


LONDON – SDX Energy has issued an update on operations at the South Ramadan concession in the Gulf of Suez offshore Egypt.

The partners have completed the final sub-surface technical work in connection with an evaluation of development options.

They have opted to drill a development well up-dip of one of the previous producing wells on the field. Depending on rig availability, this will be drilled either early in the current quarter or late in 3Q 2018.

Total cost of the 2018 program will be around $23.5 million including platform remediation work and a well workover (both dependent on a success outcome of the development well).

Eastern Mediterranean gas discoveries redefine LNG playing field - LNG WORLD SHIPPING

Wed 28 Mar 2018

Mike Corkhill

The Eastern Mediterranean is fast becoming a gas hub, with numerous LNG projects, plentiful recent gas finds and likely further discoveries

Newly discovered offshore gas deposits in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Egypt, Israel and Cyprus, coming on top of similar major finds in recent years, are poised to alter the energy map of the Eastern Mediterranean irrevocably. LNG projects, which already play a key role in the region’s gas distribution logistics, will be impacted by the upcoming development of the Eastern Mediterranean gas fields.

The majority of the LNG projects in the area are import schemes, and floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) have proved to be the most popular route to securing access to new gas supplies quickly and at relatively low cost. Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Jordan make use of FSRUs to import LNG while Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon are evaluating FSRU projects.

Exxon Mobil’s Ocean Investigator arrives in block 10 of Cyprus' EEZ - CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

28/03/2018 10:40 

CNA - CYPRUS/Limassol 

Exxon Mobil’s “Ocean Investigator” research vessel sailed on Tuesday night from the port of Limassol into block 10 of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to carry out hydrocarbon explorations for the US oil giant.

The Ocean Investigator had docked at the port of Limassol on March 14.

A second research vessel of Exxon Mobil called “Med Surveyor” also departed from the port of Limassol on Tuesday and headed towards Piraeus, Greece, after having completed its environmental research in block 10.

Cypriot gas dispute colors Turkey-EU summit - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, Mar. 27 2018

A meeting in Varna, Bulgaria, between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leaders of the European Union ended with repeated EU condemnation of Turkey’s recent interference with oil and gas exploration off Cyprus.

“The European Union stands united behind the Republic of Cyprus,” declared Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, in Varna.

Just days before the summit, the EU had said it “strongly condemns Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and underlines its full solidarity with Cyprus and Greece.”

Energy programme proceeding as planned, president tells oil and gas forum - CYPRUS MAIL

March 27, 2018

Jean Christou

Cyprus is promoting three projects that were selected by the European Commission as projects of common interest, because of their benefits to the European energy market, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday.

The president was addressing the 9th Mediterranean Forum on Oil and Gas in Nicosia, telling delegates that recently, two of the projects had secured EU funding. Specifically, €101 million will be allocated to the CyprusGas2EU project, while the EastMed Pipeline had been awarded €34.5m for technical studies.

Israeli Greens Fume as Noble Energy Asks to Block Publication of Leviathan Data - HAARETZ

Mar 27, 2018 4:20 AMZafrir Rinat 

The Noble Energy company has asked to block publication of some of the data connected to the gas platform at Leviathan for reasons of commercial secrecy. At issue is data meant to be privy to the public under the emissions permit the company will be receiving, which will set the pollution limits allowed during operation of the rigs.

The area’s Association of Cities for the Environment is demanding that all the data be released, and the Environmental Protection Ministry is also arguing that as much data as possible should be made public.

A year-and-a-half ago Noble Energy launched the process for requesting an emissions permit, which all industrial installations must have under the Clean Air Law. On the gas processing platform that the company plans to start operating next year, there will be processes that could lead to the emission of large amounts of toxic substances, such as benzene. Under the emissions permit, the company is required to install measures on the platform to reduce these emissions.

BRIEF-TechnipFMC says awarded contract by Energean for Karish field in Israel - REUTERS

MARCH 26, 2018 / 8:25 AM

TechnipFMC Plc:

• SAYS AWARDED INTEGRATED ENGINEERING, PROCUREMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION CONTRACT BY ENERGEAN FOR KARISH FIELD OFFSHORE ISRAEL

• TECHNIP SAYS CONTRACT COVERS THE DESIGN, PROCUREMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE COMPLETE SUBSEA SYSTEM.

• IT INCLUDES A FLOATING PRODUCTION STORAGE AND OFFLOADING UNIT (FPSO) DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE SUBSEQUENT TIE-BACK OF THE TANIN FIELD, THE PIPELINE SYSTEM, AND THE ONSHORE PIPELINE AND VALVE STATION AT THE RECEIVING STATION. 

Spud of Ibn Yunus-1X well, Egypt - SDX ENERGY

26 March 2018 

SDX Energy Inc. (TSXV, AIM: SDX), the North Africa focused oil and gas company, is pleased to announce that it has spud its Ibn Yunus-1X exploration well at South Disouq, Egypt. 

The Ibn Yunus-1X well, anticipated to take approximately 30 days to drill,will be targeting the same conventional natural gas bearing Abu Madi intervals discovered in the SD-1X well in April 2017. This is the first of a planned four well program on the South Disouq concession. The Ibn Yunus-1X well will be followed by two appraisal wells (SD-4X and 3X) in the original SD-1X structure which, if successful, will be used as producers thereby completing the base case development plan for the new field. The Company, in its technically approved development plan by the Egyptian authority,forecasts a plateau rate from the SD-1X field of 50 million standard cubic feet per day ("MMscf/d") of conventional natural gas (SDX 55% working interest). However, with any exploration success,the field plateau rate could potentially increase up to 100 MMscf/d. Start-up of production at South Disouq is expected to commence in H2 2018. The final well in the program, Kelvin-1X, will be an exploration well which, if successful, would be tied into the facilities located at the SD-1X field. The Kelvin-1X exploration well is targeting the same package of sands found to be productive at the SD-1X location but in a geologic structure up-dip of SD-1X, thereby reducing the level of risk and uncertainty when compared to a conventional exploration well. 

DESFA bids to finally be opened at end of this week - ENERGY PRESS

26 March 2018

Offers made by two bidding teams to an international tender offering a 66 percent stake of DESFA, the natural gas grid operator, are finally expected to be opened at the end of this week, a month and a half after they had been submitted.

TAIPED, the state privatization fund, has virtually completed its thorough processing and inspections of the offers submitted by the two bidding consortiums, while the participating teams have provided responses as to which respective team member plans to assume the management role, sources have informed.

For quite some time now, officials and pundits have appeared confident the offers may exceed 500 million euros, 25 percent over an offer made by Azerbaijan’s Socar in a previous and unfinished sale attempt.

Energean takes FID on Karish and Tanin gas project, offshore Israel - WORLD OIL

MARCH/23/2018

ATHENS -- Energean Oil & Gas PLC has announced that its board of directors has approved the Final Investment Decision (FID) to proceed with the $1.6-billion Karish & Tanin Development Project, offshore Israel.

$405 million of the $460 million raised from the recent IPO of Energean will be used to fund the Company’s 70% share in the project, while the remaining 30% will be funded by Kerogen Capital, Energean’s partner in the project.

The project is also being financed through a Senior Credit Facility of $1.275 billion recently announced and underwritten by Morgan Stanley, Natixis, Bank Hapoalim and Société Générale.

Energean has secured long-term gas agreements with some of the largest private power producers and industrial companies in Israel. The Company has contracted for the purchase of a total of 61 Bcm of gas over a period of 16 years, at an annual rate of approximately 4.2 Bcm per year (on an ACQ basis).

Energean will develop the project through a new build, owned FPSO with gas treatment capacity of 800 MMscfd (8 Bcm/per annum) and liquids storage capacity of 800,000 bbl, which the Company believes provides a flexible infrastructure solution and, potentially the scope to expand output for potential additional projects. A 90-km gas pipeline will link the FPSO to the Israeli coast and necessary onshore facilities to allow connection to the domestic sales gas grid operated by INGL, the national gas transmission company.

Apache to drill 50 new wells in Egypt next fiscal year, EGAS and Eni trying to speed up Zohr production schedule - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 25 March 2018

Apache is planning on drilling 50 new exploratory wells in Egypt in the coming fiscal year through its Qarun and Khalda Petroleum subsidiaries, both JVs with EGPC, Apache CEO John Christmann said on Thursday, according to a report in state-owned Ahram Gate. Christmann said he expects the sector to “witness a boom” in FY2018-19. Apache’s Khalda had signed a USD 20 mn agreement with the EGPC back in December to begin exploration activities in the Western Desert’s Alam El Shawish concession. Apache and Merlon had also signed USD 79 mn-worth of Western Desert exploration agreements with the Oil Ministry in August last year.

Separately, EGAS and Eni are planning to bring production at Zohr to maximum capacity ahead of schedule. The two companies are working hard to have the supergiant East-Mediterranean gas field pumping out its full capacity of 2.7 bcf/d ahead of its slated end-2019 deadline, sources close to the matter tell Al Shorouk, adding that output from Zohr — which is expected to help Egypt reach natural gas self-sufficiency and become a net exporter of LNG — should also rise to 700 mcf/d, from a current 350 mcf/d, by May instead of June.

BP seeks USD 1 bn from sale of Egypt oil assets, expected to focus more on Egypt and Oman after failing to renew UAE concessions - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 25 March 2018

BP is hoping to raise USD 1 bn from “mature oil assets in Egypt” that it has recently put up for sale, sources close to the matter tell Bloomberg. 

The move is part of the company’s strategy to “maintain capital discipline,” they add. 

This comes as BP “missed out on a chance to renew its partnership in oil concessions off the [UAE’s] shores, which expired this month,” which means that it will now need to focus its efforts on other regional gas assets, including Egypt’s Zohr and Oman’s Khazzan, in addition to its 2016 concessions.

EMGC '18: Cyprus to import gas via FSRU to meet EU GHG targets - WORLD OIL / HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

March/22/2018
Adrienne Blume

NICOSIA -- Day 2 of Gulf Publishing Company's Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference (EMGC 2018) in Cyprus kicked off with a keynote presentation by Dr. Symeon Kassianides, chairman of The Natural Gas Public Co. (DEFA) of Cyprus. Dr. Kassianides spoke about the proposal to establish a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) to import gas to Cyprus for use in power generation.

The target for first gas is 2020. In light of this tight deadline, which is motivated by Cyprus' need to meet EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits, DEFA is working with Cyprus' energy ministry and EU organizations to move quickly on the project.

Dr. Symeon Kassianides, chairman of The Natural Gas Public Co. (DEFA) of Cyprus.

CyprusGas2EU Project scope. The FSRU project—known as CyprusGas2EU—stems from the European Commission's €7.5-million CEF Syngery (CYnergy) Project, which is concerned with the establishment of an integrated storage, transmission and distribution system for natural gas in Cyprus in the forms of LNG and CNG. CYnergy, which has been 60% funded, aligns with the CyprusGas2EU Project's supply target date of 2020.

The CyprusGas2EU Project has successfully secured environmental licenses and intergovernmental licenses (e.g. Greece). Consultations with all Cypriot operating financial institutions have been held, and a grant of €101 million has been secured to fund 40% of the CyprusGas2EU project.

Shell mulls 15-year deal for Israeli, Cypriot gas, partner says - WORLD OIL / BLOOMBERG

MARCH/22/2018
Yaacov Benmeleh

TEL AVIV (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc is weighing a 15-year contract to buy natural gas for its liquefied natural gas plant in Egypt from offshore fields in Cyprus and Israel.

Shell is in talks to purchase 6 Bcm of natural gas a year from Aphrodite field, located in Cypriot waters, according to Delek Drilling LP’s annual report Wednesday. A potential deal also could include gas from the neighboring Leviathan reservoir, Israel’s largest pool, which is expected to start production by the end of 2019.

Greece’s Energean gets nod to develop 2 Israeli offshore natural gas fields - THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

March 22, 2018, 1:20 pm
Shoshanna Solomon

Board of oil and gas explorer gives go-ahead to invest $1.6 billion in Karish and Tanin, which will supply local Israeli market

Greek firm Energean Oil & Gas PLC said Thursday its board has given the green light to a final investment decision that will enable the oil and gas explorer to proceed with the $1.6 billion development of the Karish and Tanin natural gas fields off Israel’s shores.

The company said that $405 million of the $460 million it raised in a recent initial public offering of shares in London will be used to fund its 70 percent stake in the project. The remaining 30% of the project will be funded by Kerogen Capital, Energean’s partner in the project, the Greek firm said in a statement.

The project is also being financed through a credit facility of $1.28 billion underwritten by Morgan Stanley, Natixis, Bank Hapoalim and Société Générale.

Energean said it has already secured long-term gas agreements with some of the largest private power producers and industrial companies in Israel, who have contracted purchases of a total of 61 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas over a period of 16 years.

EMGC '18: Eni Chief sees rapid development of Eastern Med gas with Zohr - WORLD OIL / HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, Minister of Energy, Commerce,
Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus

March/21/2018

Adrienne Blume

NICOSIA -- Opening Day 1 of Gulf Publishing Company's fifth annual Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference (EMGC) on March 21 was Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, Minister of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism for the Republic of Cyprus.

The Minister welcomed attendees and shared perspectives on energy development in Cyprus and throughout the region. Lakkotrypis' talk was followed by a keynote presentation from Luca Bertelli, CEO at Italy's Eni.

Ministerial welcome and energy analysis. Lakkotrypis called Eni's Calypso discovery offshore Cyprus a "promising discovery," and said he looks forward to hearing from Eni about the future of that activity. The strategy of the Cyprus government, the Minister said, focuses on ongoing discoveries of natural gas, as well as those resources that will be discovered after the first cycle of exploration is concluded at the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019.

"It will give us a good idea of what kinds of resources we have in Cyprus," the Minister said. He added that the Zohr-like play discovered in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) promises the discovery of additional, important resources.

"As we are fulfilling our strategy," Lakkotrypis said, "I would like to focus on one thing: the development of the Aphrodite discovery." Cyprus has been in talks with Egyptian partners for the sale of gas for export as LNG. Lakkotrypis noted that Cyprus has recently submitted an official agreement to the EU government for the regulation of a pipeline between Cyprus and Egypt. A decision is expected to be reached in a few weeks.

Cyprus will press ahead with gas exploitation, says minister - CYPRUS MAIL

March 21,2018

Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Wednesday that despite the geopolitical challenges and recent incidents in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the government remained committed to exploiting hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean.
in a speech at the Eastern Mediterranean gas conference in Nicosia, the minister said that despite the geopolitical challenges Cyprus and the region faces, the recent incidents regarding Cyprus’ efforts to drill Block 3 of its EEZ and Turkish provocations, the country would continue to work with countries in the region not only to advance Cyprus’ interests and the region as a whole.

He added that if Cyprus was able to conclude the sale of Aphrodite’s field gas to Egypt, liquefy it and then ship it to Europe it would be the first Eastern Mediterranean gas to reach the EU.

“That will be a significant milestone which the Republic of Cyprus is committed to taking all the way,” he said.

Concerning the development of Aphrodite gas field, the minister said that the Republic is currently in commercial talks with Egyptian customers and terminals in Egypt. He added that discussions between the Cypriot and Egyptian governments sought the necessary framework to enable the sale of Aphrodite block gas to one of the two liquefied natural gas plants in Egypt.

Eni official: East Mediterranean gas could supply Europe - THE SEATTLE TIMES / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 21, 2018 at 4:06 am
Menelaos Hadjicostis

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The East Mediterranean could become a hub to export gas to Europe — and the fastest and cheapest way to do that is to utilize idle processing plants in Egypt, a senior executive with Italian energy company Eni said Wednesday.

Eni’s Chief Exploration Officer Luca Bertelli told a gas conference in Cyprus that his company’s recent discovery of a gas field southeast of Cyprus that contains “almost pure methane” has confirmed that there’s potential for more gas discoveries in the region.

He said the Italian company plans to search for more gas off Cyprus in two other areas where it’s licensed to carry out exploratory drilling.

He added that the simplest way to process the gas for export — especially to the regional big markets, Greece and Turkey — is utilizing underused processing plants in Egypt to liquefy the mineral for transport.

El Sisi, Shoukry talk energy cooperation, improving economic ties with Greek Foreign Minister - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Kotzias in Cairo yesterday, according to an Ittihadiya statement. Talks extended to trilateral relations between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus on East-Mediterranean gas, increased cooperation on economy, trade, and investment, as well as counter-terror and the peaceful resolution to regional disputes. Last month, Oil Minister Tarek El Molla had said that Egypt was in talks with Greece to establish a framework for further energy cooperation, after announcing that it was closing in on an LNG import agreement with Cyprus. The three countries also said last week they would be working on a USD 4 bn 2,000 MW subsea electricity interconnection project that is expected to become part of a larger network linking Europe and Africa.

DEFA to seek gas providers next month - CYPRUS MAIL

March 20, 2018
George Psyllides

The state gas company (Defa) said Tuesday it will be inviting tenders next month for the supply of liquified natural gas for power generation.

Defa chairman Symeon Kassianides also told the House commerce committee that it will be issuing a call for bids for the necessary infrastructure.

The new effort aims at having the fuel by January 2020 to avoid emissions fines.

The two contracts will be separate, Kassianides said.

The Defa chairman said a floating unit to store and deliquefy the fuel will cost some €250m of which 40 per cent, or €101m, will come from the EU.

The European Investment Bank has expressed interest to participate in the project while the island’s state-owned electricity company (EAC) will also hold 30 per cent.

West Nile Delta field 9B new output expected at 350-400 mcf/day -official - REUTERS

MARCH 19, 2018 / 9:57 AM

Reporting by Ehab Farouk and Ahmed Ismail; writing by Nadine Awadalla; editing by Jason Neely

CAIRO, March 19 (Reuters) - New production at Shell’s [West Delta Deep Marine] field 9B is expected to reach 350-400 mcf per day by 2019, an Egyptian petroleum ministry official told Reuters on Monday.

Separately, production from the first 3 wells in the field is set to begin in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the ministry said in a statement earlier.

The field is owned by Egypt’s General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Malaysia’s Petronas and Shell. 

Importing Israeli Natural Gas Makes Sense for Egypt - BLOOMBERG

March 19, 2018, 11:00 AM GMT+2

Robin Mills

The deal is politically fraught but could create an energy powerhouse.

The discovery of Egypt’s giant Zohr gas field in August 2015 was heralded as the solution to the country’s energy problems. So why did Egypt cut a deal this year to import natural gas from Israel, its former enemy?

Dolphinus Holdings, a private Egyptian company, agreed Feb. 19 to buy gas from Noble Energy and its partners from Israel’s two largest offshore fields, Leviathan and Tamar. The controversial accord is but the latest chapter in an Egyptian gas saga that has gone from triumph to tragedy to tentative renaissance.

Egypt’s problems with gas were long in the making. In 2006, Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmy received complaints from oil companies that low regulated gas prices were making new developments unviable, while new industries gobbled up supplies. Investment dried up and production plummeted after the 2011 revolution.

US energy firm IPR announces three new oil discoveries - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 18 March 2018

US energy firm IPR has made two new oil discoveries in the Western Desert’s Ras Qattara concession and a third in the South Disouq concession, IPR Vice President Elsayed Shahin tells Al Shorouk. 

The company, which drilled 23 wells last year, has already begun production on the first two discoveries, according to Shahin.

Malcolm Hoenlein says his role with Israeli gas giant is completely transparent - THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

17 March 2018, 4:29 am

Ben Sales
After disclosure of his dual roles, US Jewish leader probed for more information on possible conflicts of interest

Photo: Malcolm Hoenlein, center, the executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Stephen Greenberg, right, its chairman, meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, February 9, 2016. (Courtesy of Conference of Presidents via JTA)

NEW YORK (JTA) — Malcolm Hoenlein, who is the professional head of one of American Jewry’s most influential organizations and who sits on the board of a large Israeli energy company, told JTA he sees no conflict between those roles.

Hoenlein is executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an umbrella organization that speaks for over 50 Jewish groups on foreign policy, including issues related to Israel. Since June 2017, he has also been on the board of directors of Delek Drilling, a private company that is a major stakeholder in Israel’s large offshore natural gas fields.

ICGB pipe supply tender attracts ten bids - SEE NEWS

16 March 2018
Bulgarian Ministry of Energy

SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 16 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's energy ministry said on Friday that a tender for the supply of pipes for the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria project has attracted ten offers.

Bids were filed by Jindaw SAW Ltd, JSC Zagorsk Pipe Plant, Welspun Corp. Ltd, Salzgitter Mannesmann International GmbH, Noksel Celik Boru Sanayii A.S., Umran Celik Boru Sanayii A.S., Erciyas Celik Boru Sanayi A.S., Toplivo-2, Korinth Pipeworks S.A., Pipe Industry S.A. and Public Joint Stock Company Chelyabinsk Pipe Plant, the energy ministry said in a statement.

This is the first of several key tenders, which will ensure the actual commencing of construction of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria.

The tender for the construction of the interconnector will be launched in April, the ministry also said. In addition, tenders for supervision of construction works and for carrying out an archaeological study are due to be opened.

The IGB pipeline will connect the Greek gas transmission system in the area of Komotini to the Bulgarian gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora.

Greece's Energean lists in London, raises $460 mln for Israeli gas project - REUTERS

MARCH 16, 2018 / 11:39 AM

Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Mark Potter and Adrian Croft

• Company valued at nearly $1 billion
• Shares trade flat (Recasts, adds quotes, details)

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Greece’s Energean Oil & Gas listed on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, raising $460 million to develop two Israeli offshore gas fields in the latest milestone for the rapidly expanding eastern Mediterranean energy sector.

The firm offered 72.6 million new shares at 4.55 pounds ($6.35) apiece in the first flotation of an oil and gas producer on London’s main market since Zenith Energy in January 2017, according to London Stock Exchange data.

Energean shares were trading flat at 1213 GMT.

The company will receive around 330 million pounds ($460 million) from the listing, which gave Energean a market capitalisation of around $968 million, the company said in a statement.

Egypt: Agiba reaches a historic production milestone in Western Desert area - ENI

15/March/2018 16:25
San Donato Milanese (Milan)

Eni announces that the cumulative oil production of AGIBA, the operating joint venture company between Eni’s subsidiary IEOC Production BV and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), has reached 500 million barrels today.

AGIBA is active since 1981 with operations mainly focused in Eni’s oil and gas concessions located in the Western Desert Area of Egypt, where the recent effort towards new exploration and development activities has brought to unprecedented results.

In particular, thanks to the development of a number of new discoveries such as Rosa North, Emry Deep and Melehia West Deep within existing conventional asset, AGIBA, leveraging on its operated infrastructures has been able to produce and valorize oil resources amounting to around 110 MMbbls in the latest 5 years, thus reaching the target of 500 MMbbls as oil cumulative production.

BP seeking buyers for stake in ageing Egyptian business -sources - REUTERS

MARCH 15, 2018 / 7:48 PM 

Ron Bousso

• BP to focus on growing deepwater gas business
• GUPCO business said to be worth over $500 mln

LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - BP is seeking buyers for its stake in a 50-year-old oil and gas business in Egypt as it focuses on newer deepwater gas fields off the country’s Mediterranean coast, banking sources said.

The London-based company has in recent weeks pitched to potential buyers its stake in Gulf of Suez Oil Company (GUPCO), a joint venture with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) that was set up in the 1960s.

A spokeswoman for BP declined to comment.

GUPCO produces over 70,000 barrels per day of oil and 400 million cubic feet per day of gas, the sources said.

Eni strengthens record production from Nooros field offshore Egypt - ENI

15/03/2018 10:00

The Nooros field represents to date Eni’s main gas producing field in its Egyptian asset portfolio as well as an example of the success of the company’s integrated model

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 15 March 2018 - Eni has strengthened its record production from the Nooros gas field, offshore Egypt, which reached a production of 32 million cubic meters per day, equivalent to around 215,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). This production level represents the highest ever recorded by an Eni field in Egypt in the last 50 years.

This significant result has been reached thanks to the start-up of the NW-7 well, the thirteenth drilled within this field. Production levels will increase further by June 2018 when a fourteenth well, currently under drilling, will start-up. This is expected to allow Eni to reach 34 million cubic meters per day of production, equivalent to around 230,000 boed.

EIB approves 932 mln euro loan for TANAP gas pipeline - REUTERS

MARCH 15, 2018 / 5:48 PM
Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; editing by Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - The European Investment Bank approved 932 million euros ($1.15 billion) in financing on Thursday for the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), the largest part of a $40 billion project to bring new gas supplies to Europe.

The so-called Southern Gas Corridor is expected to bring around 16 billion cubic metres per year to Europe by 2020 from the Shah Deniz 2 field in Azerbaijan via TANAP through Turkey, the South Caucasus pipeline extension through Georgia and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to Greece, Albania and Italy.

Shah Deniz 2 is one of the world’s largest gas fields and is developed by a BP-led consortium.

Financing for construction of the TANAP pipeline has already been approved by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB).

Cyprus: Eni committed to gas search despite Turkey’s dissent - THE WASHINGTON POST / ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 15 at 1:46 PM

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Cyprus government says Italian company Eni is committed to carrying on its search for gas off the east Mediterranean island despite Turkey’s strong opposition.

A statement said Eni is “determined to fulfill its obligations” under its contracts with Cyprus to carry out exploratory drilling in six areas off Cyprus where it has been licensed do to so. The assurance came after Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides met Thursday with Eni Executive Vice President Lapo Pistelli in Rome.

The two men agreed on the significance of the eastern Mediterranean as an essential gas source for the region and Europe as well as on Cyprus’ potentially central role in those plans.

Last month, Turkish warships blocked a rig from reaching an area southeast of Cyprus where Eni was scheduled to drill.

Dana Gas plans $47 mln capex in Egypt this year - NASDAQ / REUTERS

March 15, 2018, 05:41:00 AM EDT
Stanley Carvalho

ABU DHABI, March 15 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates-based energy firm Dana Gas will spend $47 million in Egypt this year but any new investments will be made only if the country pays some of the money it owes, Dana's chief executive said on Thursday.

Abu Dhabi-listed Dana has been struggling to recover payments from Egypt, with total "receivables" related to oil and gas production standing at $228 million.

The money will go towards an ongoing drilling programme in Egypt where Dana has two to four wells and where work has already begun.

But with Egypt's payments in the second half of 2017 being "sporadic and disappointing", Dana is cautious about new investments. "Absent payment, absent investments," Allman-Ward said.

Dana's production in Egypt in 2017 was around 39,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), up 5 percent year-on-year, it said in annual results on Thursday.

Owners of Israeli field seek to stop Cyprus deal with Egypt - CYPRUS MAIL

MARCH 14, 2018

George Psyllides

The owners of the rights in an Israeli natural gas field next to Cyprus’ Aphrodite reservoir have asked the Israeli government to take steps to stop the island signing a gas deal with Egypt as this would affect their interests, reports said.

Israeli business news portal Globes said the owners of the rights in the Ishai licence, a continuation of the Cypriot Aphrodite gas reservoir on the Israeli side of the boundary between the two countries’ economic zones, wrote to Petroleum Commissioner Yosi Wurzburger and to Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz claiming that the extraction of gas on the Cypriot side would lead to the extraction of gas from Ishai as well.

In Nicosia, a government source rebuffed the demand, according to the Cyprus News Agency.

“The claim, which is old, is unreasonable since they have officially admitted that the quantity discovered at Ishai is negligible and cannot be recovered,” the source told the agency.

The Israeli demand followed reports that Cyprus was in talks with Egypt to export gas from Aphrodite.

SDX Energy strikes oil in Egypt's West Gharib Concession - WORLD OIL

MARCH/14/2018

LONDON -- SDX Energy Inc., the North Africa focused oil and gas company, is pleased to announce that an oil discovery has been made at its Rabul 5 well in the West Gharib Concession in Egypt (SDX 50% working interest and joint operator).

The well was drilled to 5,280 ft TD and encountered approximately 151 ft of net heavy oil pay across the Yusr and Bakr formations, with an average porosity of 18%. Further evaluation of the discovery is ongoing, after which the Company expects the well to be completed as a producer and connected to the central processing facilities at Meseda.

Following completion of the Rabul 5 well the Company will move on to the Rabul 4 location, the second of two appraisal wells planned for the Rabul feature this year.

Noble Energy Closes Sale of 7.5 Percent Working Interest in Tamar - NOBLE ENERGY

Mar 14, 2018
Houston, March 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) today announced the closing of the previously announced divestment of a 7.5 percent working interest in the Tamar field, offshore Israel, to Tamar Petroleum Ltd. Noble Energy remains operator of the field with a 25 percent working interest.

Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL) is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company with a diversified high-quality portfolio of both U.S. unconventional and global offshore conventional assets. Founded more than 85 years ago, the Company is committed to safely and responsibly delivering our purpose: Energizing the World, Bettering People's Lives®. 

Egypt’s USD 15 bn gas import agreement unlocked East Med to E&P majors - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 14 March 2018

Egypt’s Dolphinus Holding’s USD 15 bn agreement to import gas from Israel could have unlocked the East Mediterranean gas field for oil and gas majors who have long eyed the fields, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall). “ExxonMobil, Shell, Total and others are planning to invest in exports and exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. Their prospects were buoyed by a landmark contract last month between U.S., Israeli and Egyptian firms that breathed new life into the regional market.” Eni, which discovered Zohr, is trying to get in on Lebanon, while ExxonMobil is looking to be the latest entrant. As we noted on Monday, Shell is reportedly nearing a USD 25 bn agreement to bring gas from Israel and Cyprus to its liquefaction plants in Egypt. This comes despite political and hurdles that have traditionally kept these companies away from the region, with Turkey’s harassment of Cyprus and Lebanon-Israel disputes over areas being the latest of these. The piece somehow draws the connection between these discoveries and US diplomatic efforts to help bring regional powers, especially Israel and Egypt together.

ExxonMobil ship arrives for hydrocarbons survey - CYPRUS MAIL

The ExxonMobil survey ship The Ocean Investigator at
Limassol port on Wednesday morning

March 14, 2018

Evie Andreou

The ExxonMobil survey ship, Ocean Investigator, scheduled to carry out hydrocarbon explorations in block 10 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), arrived on Wednesday morning at the Limassol port.

The Ocean Investigator arrived at the Limassol port at around 8.00 am to refuel and pick up equipment necessary for its environmental impact evaluation in block 10. It sailed from the port of Lavrio in Greece.

A second vessel, the Med Surveyor, is expected to arrive in Limassol on Thursday.

The two vessels will be conducting surveys in order to establish the best drilling targets. ExxonMobil plans to carry out exploratory drilling in the second half of this year, in late summer or autumn.

According to port director, Panayiotis Agathocleous, the Ocean Investigator has docked at a quay located in the management area of DP World Limassol and is expected to load equipment, which will be transported to block 10 for its scheduled operations.

Nooros field’s 13th well comes online, adding 90 mcf/d of production - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 14 March 2018

The 13th well of the Nooros gas field has come online, bringing an additional 90 mcf/d to the national grid. This would bring the field’s total production to 1.15 bcf/d, according to a report by Eni and EGPC JV Belayim Petroleum Company (Petrobel), Al Masry Al Youm reports. 

The field’s 14th well is underway, which is expected to raise total production capacity to 1.2 bcf/d.

Mubadala Petroleum acquires 10% stake in Egypt's Shorouk Concession - WORLD OIL

MARCH/13/2018

ABU DHABI -- Mubadala Petroleum and Italy’s Eni signed an agreement to purchase a 10% stake in the Egyptian Shorouk Concession. The signing ceremony was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy. The stake in the offshore Shorouk Concession encompasses the giant Zohr gas field located in the Mediterranean Sea.

The agreement was signed by HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group CEO and managing director of Mubadala Investment Company, on behalf of Mubadala Petroleum and Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni. The signing ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Eni is operator with currently 60% interest and other partners in the concession are BP with 10% interest and Rosneft with 30% interest.

Mediterranean Gas Bounty Suddenly Seems Within Big Oil’s Reach - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

March 13, 2018 5:23 p.m. ET
Rory Jones in Tel Aviv,Sarah Kent in London and Bradley Olson in Houston

Activity follows years of work by U.S. diplomats to harmonize economies of once-hostile nations such as Israel, Egypt and Jordan

Big oil companies are pushing into Mediterranean waters off Israel, Lebanon and Egypt after years of U.S. diplomacy helped break open a political logjam around giant Middle Eastern natural-gas discoveries.

Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM -0.94% , Royal Dutch Shell RDS.B -0.81% PLC,Total SA TOT 0.33% of France and others are planning to invest in exports and exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. Their prospects were buoyed by a landmark contract last month between U.S., Israeli and Egyptian firms that breathed new life into the regional market.

Shell is in talks with investors in natural-gas fields off Israel and Cyprus to supply its Egyptian liquefaction facility, according to people familiar with the matter. If the deal advances, it would allow Israel to quickly export some of the extensive reserves of natural gas found in the Mediterranean Sea west of Haifa.

Italy’s Eni E 0.59% SpA and Total last month announced a new discovery off Cyprus. The two oil giants are also working together to explore in disputed waters off Lebanon. Exxon, too, is set to explore nearby.

Ishai license holders warn on gas extraction from Aphrodite - GLOBES

13 Mar, 2018 10:32
Sonia Gorodeisky

Israel Opportunity chairman Rony Halman: Further development of the Aphrodite reservoir that ignores Israel's rights will represent a dangerous precedent.

The owners of the rights in the Ishai license, a continuation of the Cypriot Aphrodite gas reservoir on the Israeli side of the boundary between the two countries' economic zones, wrote to Petroleum Commissioner Yosi Wurzburger and to Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz claiming that the extraction of gas on the Cypriot side would necessarily lead to the extraction of gas from Ishai as well. The approach to the ministry follows reports that Cyprus is in negotiations with Egypt on an agreement for the export of gas from Aphrodite. In addition, energy giant Shell is reported to be in talks in buying gas from the Aphrodite and Leviathan reservoirs.

RAE approves gas supply license bid from PPC, seeking transformation - ENERGY PRESS

13.03.2018

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has approved a gas supply license application submitted by the main power utility PPC, energypress sources have informed, a move that essentially represents a first step in the power utility’s transformation from an electricity firm to a full-ranged energy group.

It now remains to be seen how the utility will opt to move in the natural gas market.

According to the same sources, PPC/ΔΕΗ is still organizing its natural gas market entry with assistance from two consulting firms, Boston Consulting and Samaras & Associates, both preparing the utility’s related business plan. A finalized plan concerning combined electricity-and-gas packaged to be offered by PPC is expected to be ready by the summer.

The power utility is believed to be aiming for a natural gas market share of around 30 percent, given its gigantic customer base in the electricity market. Experience has shown that major electricity firms entering natural gas markets in other parts of Europe have achieved such market penetration levels.