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Successful start-up of Egyptian Refinery

Qatar Petroleum has announced the successful start-up of the Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) Refinery project located in Mostorod, north of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Qatar Petroleum owns 38.1% in the Arabian Refinery Company, which in turn owns 66.6% in ERC. All the units of the ERC Refinery are now operating, and are expected to ramp up to full production before the end of the first quarter of 2020. Qatar Petroleum has participated in this project since 2012, which has cost 4.4 billion US dollars with the aim to process around 4.7 million tons per annum of mainly atmospheric residue feed from the adjacent Cairo Oil Refinery Company. It will mainly produce Euro V refined products such as diesel and jet fuel. This project aims ti reduce Egypt’s dependence on imported petroleum products as well as create job opportunities for the local workforce.

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Saipem wins two drilling contracts worth over $ 160 million

The Italian oil company Saipem has won two drilling contracts in Romania and the United Arab Emirates for a total value of $ 160 million. The first contract concerns the drilling of a well in Romania’s Black Sea waters. Works will be executed by the semi-submersible rig Scarabeo 9. It will begin during the fourth quarter of 2019. The second contract concerns a drilling in the offshore of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The drilling activities will be carried out by the high spec jack up Perro Negro 8. This contract will have a duration of 4 years.

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BP sells its oil assets in Egypt

BP has announced the sell of its interests in Gulf of Suez oil concessions in Egypt to Dubai-based Dragon Oil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). The deal, which is subject to the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ approval, is expected to complete during the second half of 2019 and is part of BP’s plan to divest more than $10 billion of assets globally over the next two years.

Bob Dudley, BP chief executive, said: “Egypt is a core growth and investment region for BP. In the past four years we have invested around $12 billion in Egypt – more than anywhere else in our portfolio – and we plan another $3 billion investment over the next two years. We look forward to continuing to broaden our business here, working closely with the government of Egypt as we develop the country’s abundant resources.”

Hesham Mekawi, regional president, BP North Africa, added: “We continue to bring on new developments and deliver important gas supplies for the country. We remain on track to triple our 2016 net production from Egypt by 2020. As we grow our business here, we also keep our portfolio under review. We believe Dragon Oil is well-placed to operate these mature assets, delivering further value for Egypt.”

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Chevron announces agreement to purchase Anadarko

This acquisition for a total value of $ 50 billion (the cost of repurchase + the repurchase of Anadarko’s debt) will strengthen the position in shale oil and liquefied natural gas.
Thanks to this purchase, Chevron will get its hands on a very important natural gas field in Mozambique, on various oil fields in Algeria as well as Ghana and South Africa. It should be noted that this operation will enable Chevron to become the world’s second largest oil company.

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Eiffage and Saipem will build a gas terminal for BP

Eiffage Génie Civil Marine, pilot of a consortium with Saipem, has been appointed by BP to perform the EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation) contract for the Hub/Terminal of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyin Field. This important project, valued at € 350m, consists of the construction of a marine infrastructure, protected by an offshore breakwater. It will be used to host a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) and docking LNG carriers. The subsea infrastructure will be connected via production pipelines to a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel. From there, liquids are removed and the export gas is transported via pipeline to the floating liquid natural gas (FLNG) hub terminal where the gas is liquefied.

The breakwater will consist of 21 concrete caissons weighing 16,500 tons each built by Eiffage in Dakar, Senegal. They will be based on 2.5 million tons of quarry extracted in Mauritania.

Photo: copyright Eiffage

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OPEC agrees on lower oil production

OPEC member countries and their allies have agreed to cut oil output by 1.2 million barrels / day. This arrangement comes as oil prices have fallen by -30% in the last two months. Two-thirds of the decline, or nearly 1% of world production, will come from the 14 member countries of the Organization.

Photo: HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry; and President of the OPEC Conference

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Qatar withdraws from OPEC

On Monday, December 3, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi, has announced the country’s withdrawal from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) as of January 2019.

Member of the organization  since 1961 with a production of 600,000 barrels per day, Qatar was one of the smallest members.

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Total and Sonatrach enhanced their cooperation

The French group Total and the Algerian state-owned company Sonatrach signed two agreements on Sunday 7 October in Paris. The first is a new concession contract for the joint development of the Issasouane Erg gas field, located in the South of the Tin Fouyé Tabankort gas field from which Total is the historical partner. Both companies are committed to make the necessary investments in order to value its reserves, estimated at more than 100 millions of oil-equivalent barrels (mboe). Investment needs for this project, for which the production launch is planned at the end of 2021, are up to 400 million dollars. In turn, a second agreement of joint-venture will allow to start their common project in Arzew (in Western Algeria). It will gather the construction of a dehydrogenation of propane factory as well as a polypropylene production unit with a 550 000t per year capacity. The first engineering studies are planned for November. 

” Agreements signed today marked a new step-in the development of the strategic partnership between Sonatrach and Total in order to pursue the value of the country’s gas reserves bringing the best if our technological expertise,” stated Patrick Pouyanné, Total CEO.

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The oil production got back in South Sudan

From the Toma South facilities, the South Sudan just got its oil production back. For the time being estimated to 20 000 barrels per day, it should reach 80 000 barrels from the end of the year. The pumping in this country zone had been stopped in 2013, which marked the Sudanese civil war, and has been officially announced by the South Sudanese Minister of Oil Azhari Abdulqader. Oil represents one of the main source of income in South Sudan and this revival is one of the greatest hopes of peace for its population.

(Photo : The South Sudanese Minister of Oil, Azhari Abdulqader, opening a sluice gate in the Toma South facilities)

© REUTERS/Jok Solomun

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ALE succeeds in lifting and load-out of 4 suction anchors in Egypt

ALE has recently completed the lifting and load-our of four suction anchors for the Zohr gas project, located in the Egyptian sector of the Mediterranean Sea.

The various manoeuvres took place in the Port of Alexandria where the four suction anchors were stored near the dock. Each of the columns had different weights and dimensions, ranging from 185t to 220t. The anchor parts were moved using a crawler crane with 850t capacity and a radius of up to 30m. In addition to these pieces, ALE has loaded-out other less imposing pieces such as a 65t circular hub and a 95t rectangular ladder piece. The ALE team completed the installation of all parts safely and within the deadline set by the client.