Egyptian LNG Terminal
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Egyptian LNG Terminal, also known as Idku Terminal, is an LNG terminal in Beheira, Egypt.
Contents
Location
Project Details
- Parent: Petronas, Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, BG Group, Gaz de France
- Location: Idku, Beheira, Egypt
- Coordinates: 31.3, 30.3 (approximate)
- Capacity: 7.2 mtpa, 1.03 bcfd
- Status: Operating
- Type: Export
- Start Year: 2005
Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day
Background
Egyptian LNG Terminal is an LNG terminal in Beheira, Egypt on the Mediterranean coast. The facility is also called Idku LNG. It is comprised of two production trains supplied by the Simian Sienna Gas Field and Sapphire Gas Field. The terminal was designed to allow for easy expansion of up to four more production trains.[1]
Egypt's domestic market had diverted natural gas feedstock from export plants. Operations at the ELNG terminal greatly decreased in 2014. Political upheaval caused power shortages and forced Egypt to save gas for is own use.[2] ELNG ceased export in 2015. It has not been formally decommissioned.[3]
In 2015 Egypt became a net LNG importer. The International Gas Union predicts new gas drilling in the Zohr gas field of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as Egypt's West Nile Delta, may restore Egypt's status as a net gas exporter by 2021.[3]
Egypt started exporting limited amounts of LNG from the Egyptian LNG terminal in September 2016 to keep equipment running. It plans to run the facility at full capacity for export in 2020 or 2021.[4]
According to the International Gas Union’s World LNG 2017 report, Egypt was the 18th largest LNG exporter by share between 2015 and 2016.[3]
Israel/Cyprus Gas Import
Forbes reported in November 2015 that if Egypt joins Cyrus and Israel in a venture to import gas to Egypt, the three countries have enough infrastructure to form a regional Eastern Mediterranean gas hub.[5]
Bloomberg reported in 2016 that Israeli companies had been negotiating to build an undersea pipeline from Israel's Leviathan field to Shell's Egyptian LNG Terminal Idku. Israel’s reconciliation agreement with Turkey creates the possibility that Israel could build the pipeline north to Turkey’s state-owned BOTAŞ Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, or build pipelines to both Egypt's LNG and Turkey. Leviathan development partners, Israeli's company Delek Group and U.S. partner Noble Energy, and Israel’s energy minister claim there is enough gas to do both projects. On the other hand a senior fellow at DC's Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center says there is likely not enough gas for both projects.[6]
Leviathan's partner's claim the field holds 620 billion cubic meters of gas. The Israel government claims the estimate is 20 percent less.[6]
Bloomberg reported in August 2017 that Shell is considering buying Israeli gas from the Leviathan field and Cyprus gas from the Aphrodite field for the Egyptian LNG. Shell owns 35% of the Aphrodite field and considering buying about 5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from the Leviathan field.[2] Egypt's underdeveloped Zohr field, discovered in 2015, is geographically close to Aphrodite and Leviathan. This allows the three fields to coordinate their development.[5]
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ ELNG IDCO Terminal, A Barrel Full, accessed April 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yaacov Benmeleh and Rakteem Katakey, "Shell to Mull Buying Israeli, Cyprus Gas for Egypt Plant," Bloomberg, August 20, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "2017 World LNG Report" International Gas Union, Accessed June 20, 2017.
- ↑ Salma El Wardany, "Egypt to Import LNG With an Eye on Self-Sufficiency in 2018," Bloomberg, February 6, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann, "Egypt Holds The Key To The Eastern Mediterranean's Gas Future," Forbes, November 29, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 David Wainer and Yaacov, "Quicktake Q&A: Israel’s Geopolitical Quandary on Exporting Gas," Bloomberg, September 6, 2016.
