Page 9 - FSUOGM Week 45

FSUOGM NRG FSUOGM

Lagos has seen weeks of protests against pol- talks with US-based NextDecade over a pro-
icy brutality that culminated in the shooting of posed LNG supply deal involving gas from the
peaceful protestors by military and police on planned Rio Grande LNG terminal in South
October 20, according to Amnesty International. Texas. This comes after NewsBase reported last
In some areas the protests have turned into riot- week that Engie had delayed signing a deal with
ing and looting. NextDecade following pressure from the French
Over in Oman, OQ and Kuwait Petroleum government – which has a 23.6% stake in the
are reconsidering plans for a petrochemicals unit utility – to seek cleaner supplies instead.
at the 230,000 bpd refinery they are building in The French government banned domes-
Duqm. Their joint venture said in a statement tic hydraulic fracturing in 2011 and has since
that it had halted front-end engineering design expressed misgivings over importing gas that
(FEED) work, while its board assesses the impact is produced using the technique. And such gas,
of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis on the produced from shale formations and involving
market. the use of fracking, is what US LNG export ter-
Construction of the Duqm refinery itself is minals are using for feedstock.
continuing on schedule, though, with its com- Engie’s exit from talks comes as a blow to
pletion on track for the first quarter of 2022. NextDecade, which is trying to secure offtake
agreements for an additional 9mn tonnes per
If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping year of LNG in order to reach a final investment
the downstream sector of Africa and the Middle East, decision (FID). This is in addition to the 2mn tpy
then please click here for NewsBase’s DMEA Monitor. deal the company already has for Rio Grande..
EurOil: Tough quarter for majors If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping
The restart of Denmark’s largest gas field after Europe’s oil and gas sector then please click here for
a redevelopment programme has been delayed NewsBase’s EurOil Monitor .
by a year as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19)
related disruptions. Azerbaijan bullish on SGC
The Total-operated Tyra field accounted for Despite a ceasfire with neighbouring Arme-
90% of Danish gas output until its closure in Sep- nia having only just been reached, Azerbaijan
tember last year. It will not resume production remains adamant that it will begin piping gas to
until the second quarter of 2023, compared with Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC)
an original target of July 1, 2022, project partner shortly.
Noreco has confirmed in a statement. An official at Azerbaijan’s national oil firm
Tyra began producing gas in 1984, and in the SOCAR said last week that the Trans-Adri-
subsequent decades its platforms subsided by atic Pipeline (TAP), that runs from the Turk-
more than 5 metres, according to Total. Their ish-Greek border to Italy, would be ready in just
topsides were removed in August and will be two weeks. Once in full operation, the pipeline
replaced with new and elevated topsides, while will carry 10bn cubic metres per year of gas to
jacket extensions will be fitted onto the existing European customers. It should reach that peak
jacket structures. in 2023.
Tyra’s closure led Denmark to become a net Fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Kara-
importer of gas, reliant on supplies from neigh- bakh region has been going on for six weeks,
bouring Germany. Once the field is back in raising concerns about the security of oil and
action, Denmark expects to re-emerge as a net gas pipelines in Azerbaijan. Armenia has several
gas exporter and retain this status until at least times denied Azeri claims that it has targeted
2035. these pipelines with shelling. BP, which leads the
Over in France, utility Engie has abandoned consortium developing Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz

Azerbaijan expects to
start pumping gas to
Europe within weeks.

Week 45 11•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P9