Kuwait Oil and Gas News Jan 2014

• Low bidders emerge for Kuwait’s $14bn Clean Fuels Project.
• Kuwait invites bids for electricity cables contract.
• Kuwait invites interest in Al-Khiran independent power and water project.
• Kuwait seeks bids for airport terminal construction.
• Kuwait prequalifies 16 companies on $242m petroleum products warehouse.
• World’s first coal seam gas sent to Aussie LNG project – BG Group has announced that the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) project has received first gas from the Surat Basin coal seam gas fields in Australia – the world’s first coal seam gas to LNG project.
• Hyundai wins $1.4bn power & water project in Kuwait – Hyundai Heavy Industries and Sidem, announced a US$1.4 billion EPC contract to build phase one of the Az-Zour North Independent Water and Power Project.
• Technip wins $400m PMC contract from KOC – Technip has won a consultancy, project management and engineering contract worth over US$400 million from Kuwait Oil Company.
• WorleyParsons wins $400m KOC management contract – Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded WorleyParsons Kuwait a 5-year US$400 million contract for the supply of programme management services.
• AMEC wins $260m Kuwait refineries management job.

Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas News Jan 2014

Includes SATORP Special

• Saudi Arabia invites interest in next independent power project – Power plant will run on a mix of solar power and natural gas.
• Saudi Aramco awards FEED for Fadhili gas project – Saudi Aramco has awarded engineering and project management service contracts to subsidiaries of Foster Wheeler’s Global Engineering and Construction Group to develop its Fadhili Gas Program.
• Saudi’s Dabbagh plans stake sale in lubricants arm ahead of IPO – Dabbagh Group is planning to sell a 19 per cent stake in its lubricant business.
• Saudi’s Satorp expected to ship first PX from its Jubail facility.
• Saudi Aramco Total Refinery and Petrochemicals Co, or Satorp, will likely start paraxylene shipments from the new 400,000 b/d Jubail refinery in Saudi Arabia early next year, sources close to the company said Wednesday.
• The new refinery has downstream units with capacity to make 700,000 mt/year of paraxylene, 140,000 mt/year of benzene and 200,000 mt/year of polymer grade propylene.
• The PX plant will start in December, the sources said.
• “It seems all the downstream units will be started up by the end of December,” one of the sources said. “Considering this, the company will start first PX shipments early next year.”
• The Jubail refinery is currently operating at a 50% run rate and is expected to be fully operational by December.
• Saudi Aramco has a 62.5% stake in Satorp, with Total holding the remaining 37.5% interest.
• GCC Oil and gas consumption set to rise 50 per cent by 2030 – Mena needs more than $1 trillion investment to meet 2030 gas and electricity demand.

UAE Oil and Gas Market Update Jan, 2014

  • Nakheel to tender AED6bn of contracts in 2014.
  • Sharq to issue tenders for W Hotel on Palm Jumeirah.
  • Arabtec planning to raise Efeco capital.
  • Arabtec launches real estate development arm.
  • Flora Hospitality to open four new hotels in Dubai.
  • UAE backs out of deal to buy BAE’s Typhoon jets.
  • Dubai Expo boost for Abu Dhabi construction.
  • TAQA to streamline operations at Abu Dhabi HQ – Abu Dhabi energy company TAQA has undertaken a reorganisation at its headquarters to enhance efficiency, which will see staff numbers reduce to 189 in the new year.
  • RWE and Repsol spud first well in Mauritania – RWE and Repsol has spotted the first exploration well in Licence Block Ta10 in Mauritania. The well is intended to provide information about the hydrocarbon potential of the licence area.
  • 3rd Base Oil and Lubes Middle East Conference jointly organized by Conference Connection and Petrosil in Dubai April 16-17, 2014.
  • Land rigs seeing strong growth in Middle East – Demand for land rigs has significantly increased in the Middle East keeping rig makers and refurbishment yards very busy, according to one of the region’s top rig manufacturers.
  • LNG Publishing Company Inc. confirmed as Media Partner for 3rd Annual Base Oil and Lubes Middle East Conference.
  • Rolls Royce wins key ADMA-OPCO turbine order – Rolls-Royce has been awarded a strategic contract to supply power generation equipment to help boost oil and gas processing at ADMA-OPCO’s Satah Al-Razboot offshore project in Abu Dhabi.
  • Abu Dhabi refocuses on industry – A new bureau will draw up a revised strategy to grow the emirate’s manufacturing sector.
  • GCC Oil and gas consumption set to rise 50 per cent by 2030 – Mena needs more than $1 trillion investment to meet 2030 gas and electricity demand.
  • Abu Dhabi electricity demand to soar – Peak electricity demand in Abu Dhabi is set to rise.

Halal market sees rapid growth – Dubai is looking to tap into rising global demand for sharia-compliant products.