Page 7 - FSUOGM Week 33

FSUOGM NRG FSUOGM

long-term forecast for gas exports. Energy Min- at the Karratha Gas Plant and export some of its
ister Abdelmajid Attar had said earlier in the production as liquefied natural gas (LNG) “for a
month that state-controlled Sonatrach expected short period of time”. This was, he said, because
the volume of gas sold to foreign buyers was of the exceptional economic circumstances cre-
likely to drop into the 25-30 bcm per year range ated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
in 2025. More recently, though, he has said that “The Waitsia Gas Project Stage 2 in the Mid
exports will not sink below 30 bcm per year until West is an exception to the policy. Once sanc-
2030. tioned, it will provide urgently needed jobs, roy-
On the other end of the continent, France’s alties and economic stimulus for the region and
Total is gearing up to spud a new well offshore the state,” he said.
South Africa. It is preparing to send the Deepsea Waitsia, considered to be one of the country’s
Stavanger rig to Block 11B/12B and will begin largest onshore discoveries in the last four dec-
drilling the Luiperd-1 well before the end of ades, is estimated to produce 1.5mn tonnes per
August. year of LNG over seven years.
Traditional offshore LNG projects, which are
If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping already required to ring fence 15% of their feed-
Africa’s oil and gas sector then please click here for stock production the local market, will not be
NewsBase’s AfrOil Monitor. affected by the changes. McGowan added: “For
the domestic gas policy to work, the market also
WA ringfences onshore gas projects needs to know how much gas is available to it,
The Western Australia government has and when the gas is available. We’ve listened to
announced plans to prevent the sale of future WA industry’s calls for this transparency and the
onshore natural gas projects, barring a single amended policy will ensure it happens.”
project, to East Coast or overseas buyers.
The move effectively scuttles the controversial If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping
transnational pipeline running from Western Asia’s oil and gas sector then please click here for
Australia that the National COVID-19 Commis- NewsBase’s AsianOil Monitor.
sion Advisory Board (NNC) has recommended
to the federal government as worthy of support. SAMIR soap opera continues
WA Premier Mark McGowan said on August Five years on from its closure, the seemingly end-
17 that he wanted to avoid a repeat of the market less case of Morocco’s SAMIR refinery continues
volatility currently being experience on the east to drag on, while work on other refining projects
coast. “Western Australia’s domestic gas policy throughout MEA appears to be picking up.
is the envy of the nation, and the updated policy Despite bids having been made for the
will ensure our state can continue to access relia- SAMIR unit in Mohammedia, it looks likely
ble and affordable gas,” he said. to be utilised for storage.
The Waitsia project was the only onshore Poor management has been cited as the
development to receive an exemption. Japan’s reason for the refinery’s failure, with legal
Mitsui and Co. and Beach Energy are develop- cases played out very publicly. Meanwhile,
ing the gas field via a joint venture and are still Russian bank VEB is in talks to construct a
to reach a final investment decision (FID) on the new refinery that would presumably replace
project. SAMIR, though optimism should be tem-
McGowan said his government had given pered given that this appears to be a case of
in-principle support to allow Waitsia fill capacity history repeating.

Week 33 19•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7