Page 18 - AsianOil Week 40

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Conceptual Flow Diagram of “Blue Ammonia” Supply Chain Demonstration Saudi Aramco's blue
(Duration: August 2020 – October 2020) ammonia supply chain to
Japan. Source: company
N 2 website.
Natural 50 kW Micro Gas Turbine
(Koriyama, Japan)
Gas H 2 Blue N 2
Ammonia +
2
Hydrogen CO 2 Ammonia H O
Plant, Jubail Plant, Jubail 2 MW Gas Turbine
(Yokohama, Japan)

CO 2 Capture Co-firing in a Boiler
Plant, Jubail (Aioi, Japan)

Utilization

Enhanced Oil Recovery Methanol
Pilot Plant, Uthmaniyah Plant, Jubail
Saudi Aramco: Company General Use
Saudi Arabia goes into blue ammonia French major expects oil consumption to reach
The Middle East and Africa have largely lagged its height in 2030, or sooner depending on the
behind in developing clean technologies. Nev- pace of decarbonisation efforts.
ertheless, Saudi Arabia announced in late Sep- Total’s forecast is more bullish than that
tember that it had made the world’s first trial of BP, which recently warned that peak oil
shipment of blue ammonia to Japan. The project demand would occur in a few years, if it has
is spearheaded by national oil giant Saudi Ara- not happened already. But this still marks
mco and its petrochemicals arm SABIC. a significant change in the French firm’s
Natural gas was used to produce hydrogen at a thinking. Just a few years ago CEO Patrick
plant in the Saudi port of Jubail and this was then com- Pouyanne saw peak oil demand as merely an
bined with nitrogen to create the ammonia. Carbon eventual possibility.
dioxide from the process was captured and used at a Faced with a gloomier outlook for oil, Total
methanol plant in Jubail and at an enhanced oil recov- plans to invest more in renewables and gas,
ery (EOR) pilot facility in Uthmaniyah. which it sees as having far stronger prospects. Its
The ammonia will be used at a 2-MW gas tur- new strategy calls for a doubling of annual LNG
bine in Yokohama in Japan, as well as at a 50-kW sales over the next decade.
micro gas turbine in Koriyama and at a boiler in In Norway, six fields could face closure due
Aioi. The waste products from these facilities will to strike action by a union. Some 43 workers
be nitrogen and water. went on strike at the Equinor-operated Johan
Saudi Arabia is eager to develop ammonia Sverdrup oilfield on September 30 after wage
and hydrogen to serve other economies that are negotiations between union Lederne and the
decarbonising. This will help diversify its exports Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (NOGA)
and make its own economy more resilient. Japan, failed to make any progress.
meanwhile, is looking at hydrogen and ammonia Later that day Lederne, which represents
as key solutions for decarbonisation, estimating around 1,000 offshore staff, said 126 additional
that 10% of its power could be generated using workers would down tools. Those workers are
30mn tonnes per year (tpy) of blue ammonia. stationed at Equinor-operated Gudrun, Gina
In other news last week, Baker Hughes Krog and Kvitebjorn fields, as well as the Nep-
secured an order for multiple main refrigerant tune Energy-run Gjoa field. These fields, as well
compressors for the North Field East (NFE) as the Valemon and Vega fields, are at risk of clo-
project in Qatar, describing the win as one of its sure as a result, NOGA has warned.
largest deals in five years. NFE represents the first Lastly, Equinor has opened an internal probe
stage of an expansion project at the North Field into the “dramatic” fire that broke out on Sep-
that will raise Qatar’s liquefaction capacity by tember 28 at its Hammerfest LNG facility on
33mn tpy to 110mn tpy. Melkoye Island. No personnel were injured in
the incident, but the plant remains shut down
If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping until further notice. Norway’s Petroleum Safety
the downstream sector of Africa and the Middle East, Authority (PSA) and the police are also investi-
then please click here for NewsBase’s DMEA Monitor. gating the fire.

Total predicts 2030 peak for oil demand If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping
Total has followed BP in predicting a soon- Europe’s oil and gas sector then please click here for
er-than-expected peak in oil demand. The NewsBase’s EurOil Monitor.

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 40 08•October•2020