Page 16 - MEOG Week 10 2022

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

Safer tanker,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, of the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Yemen. Oil Minister Javad Owji oversaw the
head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary The ambassador joined a UN mission that signing of the contracts. He was reported as
committee, wrote on Twitter. It marked the included a visit to Ras Issa terminal near the estimating that around 40 mcm per day of
first acknowledgment of the agreement after anchor point for the Safer. He participated in natural gas was currently flared or vented in
years of on and off discussions and earlier discussions with local authorities. oilfields in Iran.
agreements. The rebels previously demanded “The Netherlands, they have taken a very “I can assure you that around 500 million
that UN inspectors also undertake the important role and leadership on the part of cubic feet of flare gas will be recovered and
maintenance of the aging vessel that currently the donors, which we very much appreciate,” used as feedstock at petrochemical complexes
is only maintained by a skeleton crew with said the UN spokesman responding to within the next one or two years,” the minister
limited resources. Several years ago, the questions from the media. He also highlighted was quoted as saying by state TV.
owners of the vessel said they no longer had the Netherlands’ capacity and technology as NEWSBASE
the resources to properly maintain the vessel well as expertise in maritime salvage.
leading to fears of a massive oil leak if the Previous agreements fell apart with each KOC gets nod for tenders
vessel failed. side blaming the other and the UN saying the
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric during safety of its teams could not be guaranteed. Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders
his daily briefing on March 7 provided a few Both sides remain optimistic that the new (CAPT) has agreed to a request from the
additional details on the agreement while approach will provide the solution to the long- Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to float a tender
emphasizing it was contingent on financial standing danger from the tanker. to replace the compressed air system for
donors participating in the project. He, MARITIME EXECUTIVE precision machinery and the facility’s air
however, confirmed that the UN Resident system in the assembly centers of East Kuwait.
and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, The agency also approved KOC to float a
David Gressly, signed a Memorandum of SERVICES tender to replace the compressed air system
Understanding with the Houthi to establish of the precision machines and the facility’s
a framework for cooperation on the UN- Iran awards flare gas air system in the assembly centers in south
coordinated proposal to resolve the threat Kuwait.
posed by the FSO Safer. reduction work to domestic The first extension of the KOC contract for
After the last round of negotiations fell the construction of a new pipeline to export
apart in 2021, the UN special envoy said firms gas in the North Kuwait region was concluded
they would have to develop a new approach with the Joint Scientific Group Company for
to resolve the threat. The plan that has been Iran’s oil ministry has awarded flare gas General Trading and Contracting, the local
accepted calls for a short-term solution to reduction work worth $520mn to domestic agent of Toubro And Larsen Limited, for a
“eliminate the immediate threat by moving companies as part of an effort to reach a “zero- period of 215 days starting from September
the million barrels of oil aboard the Safer to flare” target by 2025, the official IRNA news 26, 2021, without an increase in the value of
an oil tanker. The spokesperson declined to agency has reported. the contract.
comment on the long-term solution including The contracted firms will reportedly aim Furthermore, the agency approved KOC’s
if the plan is to sell the oil saying that Gressly to reduce gas flared from Iranian oilfields by request for the first-time extension of the
and the UN are focused on finalizing the nearly 17mn cubic metres (mcm) by 2024. contract for the supply of drilling liner carriers
operation plan for moving forward. Eight contracts were awarded in all as with related services for deep wells, by six
The UN cited challenges including finding part of an investment package of $1.22bn months starting from June 12, 2022.
the staff, technology, and a suitable vessel to introduced by the government in 2018 to The contract for the supply of drilling liner
be able to transfer the oil. They declined to put recover flare gas from oilfields in southwestern carriers with associated services for deep wells
a price tag on the project saying it depends on Iran. has also been extended by six months, as well
market rates. The spokesperson only said, “it’s The government has already awarded as the tender for the supply of drilling liner
not hundreds of millions of dollars ... it’s a lot $288mn of those projects to local contractors, carriers with related services for deep wells,
of money.” according to officials of the Bid Boland starting from March 22.
Discussions are already underway with Refinery, a facility especially designed ARAB TIMES
neighbouring countries regarding the plan to process recovered flare gas for use in
and the spokesperson cited the involvement petrochemicals or industrial plants.

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