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COMPANIES or potentially longer term. But our immediate Iran struggles to relaunch
priority is meeting the needs within the KRI
Crescent may export and then of course potentially the rest of Iraq.” petrol stations
PLATTS
Kurdish gas in 5 years Iran struggled Wednesday to restart its petrol
distribution system after it was hit by an
UAE’s Crescent Petroleum and its partners FUELS unprecedented cyber-attack which security
in the Pearl Petroleum consortium may start officials said was launched from abroad.
exporting gas from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Egypt to supply Lebanon The unclaimed attack crippled the
Kurdistan region in less than five years after country’s system of government-issued
meeting local needs, CEO Majid Jafar told with gas electronic cards which motorists use to
S&P Global Platts. purchase heavily subsidised fuel.
“The potential for gas export is there on Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla Long queues have formed outside petrol
the longer-term, it depends on the demand, met with his Lebanese counterpart Walid stations, angering motorists in a country
of course, in Turkey and onto Europe,” Jafar Fayad to discussion arrangements for the already suffering under tough economic
said in a recent interview. “Long-term could delivery of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon sanctions over its nuclear dispute with major
be sooner (than five years) depending on the via the Arab Gas Pipeline, the ministry said in powers.
demand and pace of development. But our a statement. “Guys, can you tell me where we can get
priority is meeting the domestic needs first in The two ministers followed up on the gasoline in the east, northeast or even north of
the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq.” course of the intensive meetings held by Tehran?” one user asked on Twitter.
Pearl Petroleum Co., the consortium led executives from the oil and gas sector in both Of Iran’s 4,300 petrol stations connected to
by UAE’s Dana Gas and Crescent, is currently countries via video conference to finalise all the system, only 220 had been reconnected,
developing the Khor Mor field in a two-phase the details related to the agreements for the Fatemeh Kahi, a spokeswoman for the
expansion that targets ramping up total output supply of natural gas and to agree on a gas National Oil Products Distribution
to about 1 Bcf/d from around 440 MMcf/d delivery timetable. Company, told the official IRNA news agency
now. The 10bn cubic metre capacity Arab Gas Wednesday.
The consortium in September signed a Pipeline runs from the city of el-Arish in However, she added, “nearly 3,000 stations
$250 million financing agreement with the US Egypt to Aqaba in Jordan. It continues north can distribute fuel offline, but at the open
International Development Finance Corp. to to Rehab, where it supplies gas to Jordanian price” - the rate consumers must pay once
help the Khor Mor expansion. The first 250 power plants before continuing to Syria, they have used up their monthly allowance of
MMcf/d project will be operational in April where it crosses the boarder and connects subsidised fuel.
2023, with nearly a one-year delay that was with the city of Homs with an extension to the The conservative Fars news agency on
caused by the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Lebanese city of Tripoli. Tuesday linked the breakdown to opponents
The second 250 MMcf/d may start in less Egypt plans to stop gas supplies to the ahead of the second anniversary of deadly
than two years after the one currently under Egypt Liquefied Natural Gas export terminal protests sparked by a hike in petrol prices.
implementation, Jafar said. at Idku near Alexandria immediately and it Fars reported that “a campaign carried out
“We have identified that the domestic will supply gas to the Damietta LNG plant by counter-revolutionary media” ahead of the
market within the KRI (Kurdistan Region only until the end of this year as it prepares November 15, 2019 anniversary “reinforces
of Iraq) is in excess of 1 bcf/d,” said Jafar. to redirect surplus gas exports to Lebanon via the possibility of a cyber attack.”
“There has been interest from the federal the Arab Gas Pipeline. On that date two years ago the
government in Iraq in purchasing gas from BNE announcement of a sudden increase in fuel
Khor Mor, whether that is short-term supplies prices triggered protests in dozens of locations

Week 43 28•October•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P17