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DMEA PiPelines DMEA
Equatorial Guinea approves plan for Saipem to build gas line
aFRiCa
EQUAtORIAL Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and hydrocarbons has given a green light to a project that will support ongoing efforts to promote the development of offshore natural gas deposits.
the ministry said last week that it had approved the award of a contract to Saipem (Italy) for the construction of a pipeline that will connect offshore gas fields to the petrochemi- cal complex that is being built at Punto Europa. Saipem will be building the link for a joint ven- ture operated by Noble Energy (US) along a 70-km route originating at the Alen Unit site, which straddles Blocks O and I offshore Equa- torial Guinea.
the parties finalised an agreement on the pipeline project in April of this year. The value of the deal has been estimated at $90-100mn.
Saipem expects to finish the pipeline in time to handle initial production from Alen Unit, which is due to come on stream in the first quarter of 2021. The link will have a throughput capacity of 9.82bn cubic metres per year.
Equatoguinean Minister of Mines and hydrocarbons Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima said that the approval of Saipem’s contract would
promote economic growth in Equatorial Guinea. “We anticipate that this contract, which is being approved exceptionally under the given circum- stances, will contribute immensely to improving the performance of local businesses and the crea- tion of employment, [which] is [a top] priority of the ministry,” he commented last week.
Noble said in May that it was taking steps to promote the development of Alen Unit. It said it was gearing up to make minor modifications to its offshore Alen platform in order to facilitate exports. Gas is due to flow from the platform to the Alba LNG and EG LNG plants in Punto Europa via the new pipeline. According to previ- ous reports, Alba LNG will need to be modified to take delivery of the Alen Unit gas, while EG LNG is already capable of doing so without any special arrangements.
The Alen platform is being transformed into an offshore hub capable of handling gas from Blocks O and I, from other Equatoguinean off- shore fields and from other locations within the Gulf of Guinea region. It will eventually serve as a component of the gas mega-hub that Malabo wants to build in Punto Europa.™
ReFininG
KIPIC selects Honeywell for Al Zour automation
honeywell has announced that Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) has selected honeywell Process Solutions (hPS) to be the main automation contractor for its new Petrochemicals and Refinery Integration Al Zour Project (PRIZe).
Under the agreement, hPS will provide KIPIC with front-end engineering design and advanced process control technology for the complex, which will help KIPIC expedite production start-up and assist with reaching production targets faster and more efficiently.
The PRIZe project will become the first integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Kuwait. The new facility – developed as part of the Al-Zour Complex
– will significantly enhance Kuwait’s domestic petrochemicals, aromatics and gasoline manufacturing capabilities.
“The PRIZe project will revolutionise
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Kuwait’s domestic production capabilities, helping KIPIC meet the increasing demand for fuels and petrochemical products
within the country,” said hatem Al-Awadi, acting chief executive officer, KIPIC. “With honeywell’s support, we are building a strategic project that will transform Kuwait’s domestic oil and gas market, and provide a significant accelerator for the country’s long- term economic development by improving gasoline and benzene supply to the local and international markets.”
honeywell UOP also was awarded a contract with KIPIC earlier this year for modernisation of the Al Zour complex. honeywell UOP will revise the configuration and capacity of the refinery’s gasoline production facilities and supply technology licenses, design services, key equipment, and state-of-the-art catalysts and adsorbents to produce clean-burning fuels, paraxylene, propylene, and other petrochemicals.
honeywell has been in Kuwait for more than 50 years. honeywell supports Kuwait’s energy industries through cutting-edge technologies, efficient business solutions,
local training, research and development initiatives. honeywell is the first company to build “Made in Kuwait” solutions to power digital transformation across the country’s growing oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. The company also operates the honeywell Automation College in Mina Abdullah, which delivers global training capabilities locally through more than 300 courses specifically designed to address the requirements of Kuwait’s power and water, oil and gas and automation industries.
“honeywell has a long history of successfully delivering world-class automation solutions to the oil downstream industries in Kuwait, and this new agreement highlights the trust our customers have in our technologies,” said Rachad Abdallah, president for honeywell in Kuwait. “At the integrated refining and petrochemicals complex at Al- Zour, we are leveraging our experience and technologies to help develop one of the most ambitious initiatives in the region. This project will help transform Kuwait into a pioneering manufacturer in the downstream oil and gas industry.”
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Week 45 14•November•2019