Monday, December 23, 2024

North Africa News

Saudi firm plans a hydrogen-powered skyscraper for Egypt's new Capital

Saudi-controlled firm plans to start construction on 50-storey, $1 billion office tower in Egypt's capital early next year. The building will be powered by hydrogen and is the first of its type. Magnom Properties is a Saudi industrial group Rawabi Holding subsidiary. They bet that the sophisticated design and price tag will attract international clients to the new capital. A city of over 6 million people, being built in the desert east from Cairo, the new capital has been designed with a high-end look.

Neptune Energy Targets 2030 to Store More Carbon Than It Emits

“Neptune has one of the lowest carbon intensities in the sector due to the steps we have taken already to reduce operational emissions. We have both the infrastructure and the experience with electrification and CCS to now accelerate our ambitions," said Pete Jones, CEO. Photo courtesy Neptune Energy

With increasing pressure on the oil and gas industry to cut its emissions footprint, Neptune Energy said it aims to go beyond net zero and store more carbon than is emitted from its operations and the use of its sold products by 2030.According to the company, it is currently progressing a pair of carbon capture and storage (CCS) developments in the Dutch and UK sectors of the North Sea that it claims could store more than 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year for third parties by the end of this decade…

Price Drop Triggers Haggling Over Oil and Gas Deals

The collapse in oil prices to 21-year lows has led potential buyers of oil and gas fields to try and renegotiate deals already agreed at higher prices, with the first examples emerging of sellers having their hand forced.At a time when most oil companies are slashing budgets, dividends, and headcounts to preserve cash, sellers are facing a difficult choice between sweetening the deal or risking losing it altogether.Premier Oil's CEO said…

GasLog Sees Tighter LNG Shipping Market

GasLog, an international owner, operator and manager of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, is predicting a tighter LNG shipping market, as increasing United States LNG output combines with a seasonal uptick in demand for gas, resulting in rising demand for shipping and higher utilization of the global fleet.These underlying trends in the LNG commodity and shipping markets point towards a structurally tighter market through 2020 and into 2021.As of October 28…

Natural Gas to be 29% of World’s Energy Supply by 2050

The global oil demand will peak in the mid-2020s and gas demand will keep rising to 2033, says DNV GL.Gas demand will then plateau, and the fuel will remain dominant until the end of the forecast period in 2050, when it will account for over 29% of the world’s energy supply, it said.Significant investment will be required to ensure production meets demand, including realising the potential from stranded gas reserves and for reserve replacement.

African LNG to Attract $103Bln in 2019

With greenfield investments in Nigeria, Egypt, Mozambique and elsewhere reaching nearly $103 billion this year, it is clear that liquefaction is viewed as the most profitable strategy for realizing Africa’s gas potential, said Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).Africa is an exciting frontier in the global natural gas sector. The continent holds 7.1 percent of proven global gas reserves and is expected to contribute nearly 10 percent of…

NSER Wins $600mln Contracts in S. Arabia

National Energy Services Reunited (NESR), a provider of integrated energy services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia Pacific regions, has been awarded contracts worth US$660 million by Saudi Aramco for coiled tubing, stimulation and cementing services for a five year period.The contract is with the National Petroleum Technology Company, a subsidiary of NESR, for coiled tubing and N2, stimulation services and cementing services for a period of five years with possible extensions of up to two years.Mohammed Y.

Infinity, Medserv Form Services JV

Aberdeen-based Infinity Oilfield Services and Malta-based Medserv have formed a new joint venture named InMedCo, to provide a broader portfolio of highly specialized technical services to the oil and gas market.The InMedCo joint venture combines Infinity’s technical and engineering expertise with Medserv’s integrated logistics capability and quayside facilities in Malta and Cyprus.The company provides inspection, repair, upgrade and refurbishment of topside and drilling equipment for platforms…

BP Sells Egypt Assets to Dragon Oil

BP chief executive Bob Dudley (Photo: BP)

BP said on Monday it has agreed to sell its interests in Gulf of Suez oil concessions in Egypt to Dubai-based Dragon Oil, as part of the supermajor’s plan to divest more than $10 billion in global assets over the next two years.Under the terms of the deal, Dragon Oil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), will purchase producing and exploration concessions, including BP’s interest in the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO).The deal…

Wintershall, DEA Complete Merger

The merger between oil and gas firms Wintershall Holding GmbH and Deutsche Erdoel AG (DEA) has been completed, creating the largest independent exploration and production company in Europe.Wintershall DEA will be headquartered in Hamburg, with activities across Europe, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East. Regulatory approvals have been granted by nine countries including Germany, Norway, the UK and Russia.“We are a European champion and are making an important contribution to Europe’s energy security…

Wintershall Wins Argentina Offshore Bid

Germany's largest crude oil and natural gas producer Wintershall won the bidding process for two blocks in the promising Malvinas Basin off the coast of Tierra del Fuego as part of the “Costa Afuera” licensing round.In addition to the CMA-1 exploitation concession, with this award, the company will participate in further offshore exploration projects in Argentina. The exploration licenses are located approximately 300 km off the southeast coast of Argentina.Wintershall will hold a 27 percent interest in the licenses MLO-114 and MLO-119.

Saudi Aramco, McDermott Plan New Facility

(Photo: Saudi Aramco)

Saudi Aramco on Tuesday signed a land lease agreement with McDermott Arabia Company to establish a facility for large scale fabrication of offshore platforms and onshore/offshore modules located within the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries in Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia.“This facility will serve as a major engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) hub for not only the Kingdom, but for the [Gulf Cooperation Council] region…

Saudi Aramco Lauches Arabian Rig Manufacturing

Saudi Aramco and National Oilwell Varco Incorporated (NOV) recently held the first Arabian Rig Manufacturing (ARM) Board of Managers meeting.ARM is a newly formed company, a joint venture (JV) between NOV (owning 70% of the JV’s shares) and Saudi Aramco. Highlights of the meeting included the appointment of senior officials and the approval of the company’s branding strategy.The JV partnership will establish a world-class onshore rig and equipment manufacturing and aftermarket facility in Ras al-Khair, 80 kilometers north of Jubail.

Giza and Fayoum Gas Fields Come Onstream

(Photo: BP)

BP on Monday announced first gas production from the second stage of its West Nile Delta development offshore Egypt, marking the second start-up in a string of new upstream projects expected to be brought on line by the supermajor in 2019.The project, which produces gas from the Giza and Fayoum fields, was developed as a deepwater, long-distance tie-back to an existing onshore plant.The Giza and Fayoum development, which includes eight wells…

Neptune Energy Indonesia Gets New Managing Director

The oil and gas producer Neptune Energy has announced the appointment of Eko Lumadyo as Managing Director of its Indonesian business, based in Jakarta.Lumadyo will join Neptune from Mandala Energy Indonesia, where he is currently Country President and General Manager.Lumadyo has more than 30 years’ experience in upstream oil and gas exploration, development, planning, operations and commercial affairs. He started his career with Unocal as…

ADES International Renews Offshore Rig Contract

The oil and gas drilling and production services company ADES International said that it has renewed an existing contract for the offshore rig known as Admarine 657, which is currently operating in Saudi Arabia.The renewal for Admarine 657 would come into effect after the expiry of its existing contract during first quarter of 2019, said the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-focused drilling services provider.The renewal tenor was for seven years…

Norway's Equinor strikes LPG Deal with Malaysia

Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor has entered into a long-term agreement with Malaysia's Global Petro Storage for a terminal and storage for liquified petroleum gas (LPG) volumes in Port Klang, in South-East Asia.According to statement from the petroleum and wind energy company, GPS will build a new facility to execute this agreement with startup of operations planned for mid-2021. Equinor will bring LPG to the terminal and sell into the domestic market in Malaysia as well as selling volumes to markets like Bangladesh…

MENA Region to Lead Global Oil and Gas for Decades to Come: DNV GL

The world will need less energy from the 2030s onwards, but it will still require a significant amount of oil and gas in the lead-up to mid-century according to DNV GL’s 2018 Energy Transition Outlook, an independent forecast of the world energy mix in the lead-up to 2050.The report says, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will remain the main global supplier of oil and gas for decades to come."Among its forecasts for 10 global regions…

ADES Acquires 12 Rigs From Weatherford In Kuwait

Drilling company Ades International Holding has bought 12 onshore rigs from Weatherford in Kuwait for $ 123 million.The oil & gas drilling and production services provider in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) said in a press release that the transaction forms part of the previously signed definitive agreement with a subsidiary of Weatherford to acquire thirty-one onshore drilling rigs for a total consideration of $287.5 million across Kuwait…

SDX Terminates Talks Over BP's Egyptian Assets

North Africa-focused oil company SDX Energy has terminated talks for a potential acquisition of assets in Egypt from the oil giant BP.A press release from SDX announced that further to the announcement made on September 20, 2018, discussions regarding its proposed acquisition of a significant package of assets in Egypt from BP have been terminated by mutual agreement.As the acquisition is no longer proceeding, the suspension of the company’s shares from trading on AIM will be lifted from 7:30 a.m. on October 18, 2018.