Page 15 - MEOG Week 12 2021
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MEOG                                        NEWS IN BRIEF                                             MEOG
































       OIL                                 oil-based developments.                “We are hoping the project could be
                                              While Qatar’s massive expansion   awarded during the second half of this year,”
       OPEC+ won’t pump more oil           programme on its North Field gas field is   one well-informed industry source said.
                                                                                  The operator had last year stalled the
                                           likely to remain at the heart of its expansion
       than market can handle              strategy, it is expected to continue making   previous tender process for the offshore
                                                                                development, delaying the EPC project by up
                                           calculated investments in some of its key
       The United Arab Emirates’ energy minister   offshore oilfields — including Al Shaheen,   to one year, Upstream previously reported.
       said on Tuesday that OPEC+ is unlikely to   Idd El-Shargi North Dome (ISND) and Bul   Four leading international EPC
       pump more oil than the market can handle.  Hanine.                       players there were earlier involved in the
         “I don’t think there is an idea to pump a   Two people with direct knowledge of the   debottlenecking tender process are also
       lot of oil, more than the market can handle,”   Al Shaheen tender process said that NOC —   expected to queue up for the most recent
       Suhail al-Mazrouei told Forbes Middle East   a joint venture between French giant Total   tendering exercise, a second person said.
       in an interview when asked about possible   and state-owned Qatar Petroleum (QP) —   Those include Malaysia’s Sapura Energy,
       scenarios for the OPEC+ meeting on April 1.  recently issued tender documents to leading   Italy’s Saipem and Rosetti Marino and French
       REUTERS                             international offshore contractors, with   player Ponticelli. In addition, some other
                                           technical offers likely to be submitted as early   leading EPC players could also be in the fray,
       Iraq approves Schlumberger          as next month.                       Upstream understands.
                                              The offshore development project — now
                                                                                  Al Shaheen is Qatar’s largest oilfield and
       drilling deal                       named as DBN-PWM — was put on hold   accounts for almost half of the country’s oil
                                                                                production.
                                           by the operator last year, due to uncertain
       The Iraqi cabinet on Tuesday approved a deal   market conditions in the wake of coronavirus   UPSTREAM
       to award U.S. company Schlumberger Ltd a   outbreak.
       $480 million deal to drill 96 oil wells in the   NOC is carrying out several offshore
       south, according to a statement.    upgrade projects involving the Al Shaheen   GAS
       REUTERS                             offshore field.
                                              Total had earlier indicated that it has plans   QP signs 10-year LNG supply
       Qatar puts Al-Shaheen work          to spend more than $2 billion on Al Shaheen   deal with Sinopec
                                           alone, which also includes the multi-phase
       back on the table as tender         Gallaf project that is presently in its execution   Qatar Petroleum (QP), the world’s top
                                           phase.
       hatched                             a mid-sized scheme that envisages the setting   liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier, has
                                              The DBN-PWM project is believed to be
                                                                                signed a long-term agreement to supply
       Qatar’s North Oil Company (NOC) has   up of water debottlenecking offshore facilities   LNG to China Petroleum and Chemical
       revived a key engineering, procurement and   at Al Shaheen, aimed at optimising the   Corporation (Sinopec) for several years.
       construction project that involves the further   field’s production capacity. The development   With the new deal, said to be the first in the
       development of its Al Shaheen oilfield — the   is aimed at removing the excessive water   history of the Chinese firm, Qatar Petroleum
       country’s largest offshore field.   capacity on the offshore oilfield.   will supply two million tonnes of LNG to
         The emirate has an oil production capacity   The workscope is likely to include one new   Sinopec every year for a term of ten years.
       ranging between 500,000 and 600,000 barrels   offshore jacket and multiple modules, project   The long-term purchase and sales
       per day, which is minuscule compared with   watchers said.               agreement was signed on March 22 via an
       other Persian Gulf heavyweights.       In addition, offshore modification works   online video conference.
         However, Qatar is not a member of   are also likely to be involved.      China is a key and strategic energy partner
       Opec and so is not bound to any potential   Technical bids are likely to be submitted in   for the state of Qatar, having supplied 62
       agreement to curb its oil output, giving it   April, followed by a commercial submission   million tonnes of LNG to China since 2009.
       more flexibility to continue spending on key   due in June.                “This cooperation will further enhance



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