Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy.

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'Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal, also called the Dubai FLNG Terminal, is an LNG terminal in the United Arab Emirates.

Location

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Project Details

• Owner:
• Parent: Excelerate Energy
• Location: Jebel Ali port, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Coordinates: 25.01126, 55.06116 (approximate)
• Capacity: 6 mtpa
• Additional Proposed Capacity:
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 2010

Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day

Background

Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal is an LNG terminal in the United Arab Emirates. It is located in Jebel Ali port, the region’s major shipment center and in a free trade zones.

In 2012, the United Arab Emirates's natural gas reserves were 212 trillion cubic feet. This made United Arab Emirates the fifth largest gas reserve in the world.

Middle East and LNG imports

United Arab Emirates is not the only country rich with gas reserves in the Middle East to import gas. Countries in one the most gas rich regions import LNG by tanker. They include Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal in Kuwait in 2009, Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal in Dubai in 2010, Hadera LNG Terminal in Israel in 2013, Jordan through Aqaba Jordan LNG Terminal in 2015, Ruwais LNG Terminal in Abu Dhabi in 2016. The city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates plan to import LNG in 2018. Bahrain plans to import LNG through its Bahrain Hidd FLNG Terminal in 2019. Even Saudi Arabia has recently considered LNG imports.

The United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Maldives Bahrain and Egypt in cutting off diplomatic ties and air, sea vessels, and land transportation links with Qatar in June 2017. They charged the gas-rich Qatar of supporting political extremist groups. The United Arab Emirates depends on imported gas to generate half its electricity. The country did not shut down the Dolphin Energy pipeline supplying gas from Qatar.

United Arab Emirates ports, including Jebel Ali, home of the Jebel Ali FLNG and the region’s largest container terminal, were prohibiting all vessels traveling to, or from, Qatar. A vessel carrying LNG to Dubai’s Jebel Ali port to deliver fuel under contract despite the ban on Qatari vessels. A tanker named Maran Gas Amphipolis moored in June 2017 originally listed Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal as the destination.

In July 2017 Al Jazeera reported that the United Arab Emirates receives about two billion cubic feet of gas daily from Qatar. According to the International Gas Union’s World LNG 2017 report, UAE was the 12th largest LNG exporter by share between 2015 and 2016. The country exports about 5.6 million tons a year.

In August 2017 a Qatar shipping company, Milaha Maritime and Logistics, moved its hub from UAE to Oman. Blockading countries, led by Saudi Arabia, had denied Qatar access to their ports. Normally Qatar LNG stopped at the UAE’s Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal, Dubai, or in Abu Dhabi. The LNG then smaller boats in route to Doha, Qatar. Jebel Ali was difficult for Qatar to access during the blockade. Oman announce its desire to take Qatar's LNG through its port and it has remained neutral in the Saudi-led blockade. This move to Oman threatens Dubai’s status as a regional financial hub.

Industry analysts think believe that both Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal and Oman will financially benefit from LNG trade transactions that used to take place in the UAE. Qatar Petroleum chief told Al Jazeera on July 2017 that at 7 million tons a year his country is the world's biggest LNG exporter.