Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 1
NewBase Energy News 11 October 2018 - Issue No. 1205 Senior Editor Eng. Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
Iraq: DNO Peshkabir Kurdistan production hits 50,000 bopd
WAM/Rasha Abubaker
DNO’s largest shareholder is UAE-based RAK Petroleum.
DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced that production at the Peshkabir
field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq has ramped up to 50,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), meeting
the end-2018 target ahead of schedule and below budget.
One of two recently completed wells, Peshkabir-7, is producing over 10,000 bopd from nine
Cretaceous zones through temporary test facilities. The other, Peshkabir-6, drilled as a production
well, but with the additional objective of appraising deeper formations, has established a deeper
Cretaceous oil/water contact level than previously estimated. Further testing is under way, including
test production of multiple producing zones.
The Peshkabir-8 well, spudded in late August, is drilling ahead at 2,325 metres. Once completed,
the rig will move to spud Peshkabir-9 in November.
Four other wells at Peshkabir now produce at a combined rate of close to 40,000 bopd following a
workover at Peshkabir-3 which boosted production from that well to 11,000 bopd from 8,000 bopd.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 2
Peshkabir production is processed through temporary test facilities until commissioning of a central
processing facility with a capacity of up to 50,000 bopd by end-2018. The Company is also installing
a 10-inch pipeline from Peshkabir to Fish Khabur with a capacity of 60,000 bopd. Field production
is currently transported to Fish Khabur by tanker truck and a 6-inch pipeline.
At the Company's flagship Tawke field, the Tawke-50 shallow Jeribe well drilled to a depth of 320
metres will be brought on production within the next few days. The Tawke-49 Cretaceous well is
drilling ahead at 2,245 metres and will be completed later this month. Two additional Tawke wells,
one each in the Jeribe and the Cretaceous, will be drilled by the end of the year. Workovers are
also underway at two wells. Tawke production currently stands at just over 80,000 bopd.
Elsewhere in Kurdistan, the Company is about to spud its first well on the Baeshiqa licence.
Baeshiqa contains two undrilled structures with multiple target reservoirs in the Cretaceous,
Jurassic and Triassic. The first well will target the Cretaceous and will be followed by a back-to-back
well to test the deeper Jurassic and Triassic on the same structure. A third well to test the Jurassic
and Triassic on a separate structure will be drilled in 2019.
"We are all-in on our Kurdistan operations and delivering," DNO's Executive Chairman Bijan
Mossavar-Rahmani, said. "Peshkabir continues to exceed expectations and we are eager to probe
the promising potential at Baeshiqa," he added.
In Norway, the Company will participate in two exploration wells to be spudded later this year. DNO
currently holds 21 licences in the country and plans an additional five exploration wells next year.
The Company's growing Norway portfolio is complemented by a 28.22 percent shareholding in UK-
listed Faroe Petroleum plc.
"With USD 1 billion in financial assets, including more than USD 600 million in cash and the balance
in marketable securities and treasury shares, we are well-positioned to grow our footprint in
Kurdistan and Norway with the drill bit and the acquisition of producing assets," Mossavar-Rahmani
said.
Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, DNO holds stakes in onshore and offshore
licences at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of
Iraq, Norway, Oman, the United Kingdom and Yemen.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 3
UAE:Dubai's Dragon Oil plans $500mln in acquisitions in 2019
Reuters + Zawya + NewBase
Dragon Oil, a subsidiary of Dubai's Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), plans to
invest about $500 million next year in oil and gas assets as part of an international
expansion strategy, its chief executive told Reuters.
The upstream investment arm of Dubai government-owned ENOC Group, the
company aims to boost its production to 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per
day by 2025
The upstream investment arm of Dubai government-owned ENOC Group, the company
aims to boost its production to 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2025 and is
eyeing new opportunities in Turkmenistan, North Africa and Iraq, Ali Rashid al-Jarwan
said.
"We are trying to improve our profitability, our efficiency and our sustainability and for
that purpose we are continuously looking for opportunities to improve our portfolio," al-
Jarwan said in an interview on Wednesday. "We are a cash positive company".
Dragon Oil's main assets abroad are in Turkmenistan’s Cheleken field, where it produces
close to 90,000 bpd, al-Jarwan said. The company also has exploration assets in Iraq,
Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt.
"We have a program of acquisition to supplement our growth strategy, because our
strategy indicates that we have to go to 300,000 (boepd) by 2025," he said. "We are
looking at Africa mainly, especially North Africa."
In Iraq, the company has oil operations in Iraq's southern Basra region and production
has started from the Faihaa-1 well. In Algeria, Dragon Oil is continuing with its exploration
activities and hopes for commercial gas operations there to begin after 2019, al-Jarwan
said.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 4
Egypt: GE wins contract for Egypt's first nuclear power plant
The National - Dania Saadi + Cairo Post + NewBase
Cairo plans to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2022 and 42 per
cent by 2035. Corbis. Egypt is building the reactors in partnership with Russia's Rosatom
GE won a contract to supply equipment and services to Egypt’s first nuclear power plant being built
in cooperation with Russian state-run nuclear firm Rosatom, the company announced Tuesday.
GE did not disclose the value of the contract that includes the supply of four nuclear turbine
generators to El Dabaa in the northern part of the country.
“As Egypt works to diversify its energy production and to support its growing economy, the El Dabaa
nuclear power plant, equipped with GE Power’s Arabelle technology, will help Egypt deliver on their
ambitious goals,” said Andreas Lusch, chief executive of GE’s Steam Power.
Moscow and Cairo agreed in 2015 to build a nuclear power plant in the North African country, with
Moscow offering a loan to cover the construction cost. The 4,800 megawatt plant is expected to
cost an estimated $21 billion (Dh77.1bn).
Egypt is seeking to diversify its power generation mix in order to lower reliance on fossil fuels as
feedstock. Cairo plans to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs from renewables by 2022 and 42 per
cent by 2035. Egypt could generate 53 per cent of its electricity mix from renewables by 2030,
double the share expected from current plans and policies, the Abu Dhabi-based International
Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Tuesday.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 5
With renewable power, heat and fuels all involved in the mix, renewables could provide 22 per cent
of Egypt’s total final energy supply in 2030, up from just 5 per cent overall in 2014.
“While investments in renewables would have to increase, the proposed shift would cut the country’s
energy costs by $7 per megawatt hour (MWh) on balance, even before considering the health
benefits of reducing air pollution,” the report said.
Egypt’s first nuclear power station was originally approved in August 2010 under the leadership of
Hosni Mubarak. The project has been controversial since its announcement and was met with
opposition from the local community and tourism developers who raised environmental concerns
about the potentially devastating effects of the nuclear station.
The workers’ union of the Egyptian Automatic Energy Authority accused the governor of deceiving
Dabaa residents, telling them that the project would take up just 2.5 square kilometres of land, while
in reality it would take up 50 square kilometres owned by the authority (2).
In 2012, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights documented several violations that Dabaa
residents faced over the course of project’s history, including unfair monetary compensation for the
land the government confiscated in 1981, the forced displacement of residents in 2003, the
destruction of residents’ homes, plants and wells, and discrimination against Dabaa residents in the
provision of services and opportunities that disallowed them from maintaining a suitable standard
of living (4, 5).
In March 2011, after the popular uprising that ousted President Mubarak, Egypt's electricity minister
said that the country would go ahead with the tender for the plant's construction (3). Between
November 2011 and January 2012 groups of residents took action to demand that the project be
terminated through land occupation, sit-ins, and the stealing of radioactive material (1, 3).
Dozens were wounded in January 2012 when military police tried to disperse hundreds of Egyptian
protesters (2) Following a period of political transition, Egypt’s military intelligence took over
management of the Dabaa nuclear power plant project and communications with residents in 2013.
Some report that military intelligence was more responsive than than the ministries of interior and
electricity that had previously handled the issue, presenting residents’ demands directly to Al Sisi,
who was the defense minister at the time (4) In February 25, 2017, the government organised a
convention to announce residents’ acceptance of the project (4).
Hamdy Hafez, a member of the Dabaa residents’ coordination committee and a founder of the
Dabaa Youth Association explains the state promised to build 1,500 housing unit for Dabaa
residents, and 110 apartment blocks for the projects’ workers.
Residents would also be given employment priority in the future power plant. Each landowner was
granted LE30,000 in compensation per feddan (4,200m2), regardless of whether the land had been
left vacant or was on mountainous or agricultural land. The prosecution also dropped investigations
into cases where residents had been detained in the 2003 eviction and released those who were
being held in detention.
If residents are satisfied with the immediate short-term gains they were able to extract from the
government, questions remain about long-term environmental safety and economic justice. Indeed,
while a financial agreement was reached in August 2017 between Egypt and Russia for the
provision of a Russian state-backed loan of $25 billion for the $30 billion project (5), environmental
researchers argue that the state’s study into the plant’s economic and social costs is insufficient (4).
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 6
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 7
NewBase 11 October 2018 - 2018 Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502 , Dubai , UAE
Oil extends losses as markets fall, inventories climb
Reuters + Bloomberg + NewBase
Oil prices slumped to two-week lows on Thursday as global stock markets fell, with investor
sentiment made more bearish by an industry report showing U.S. crude inventories rising more than
expected.
Brent crude LCOc1 fell $1.58 a barrel to a low of $81.51, its lowest since Sept. 27, before recovering
a little to trade around $81.70 by 0850 GMT. Brent lost 2.2 percent on Wednesday. On Oct. 3, it hit
a four-year high of $86.74.
U.S. light crude CLc1 dropped $1.28 to $71.89 but then recovered to around $72.05. The contract
lost 2.4 percent in the previous session.
“The up-trend is over for the moment, and a new direction is settling in,” said Robin Bieber, technical
chart analyst at London brokerage PVM Oil. “The market looks like heading lower, with valid targets
Crude inventories climbed by 9.7 million barrels in the week to Oct. 5 to 410.7 million, compared
with analyst expectations for an increase of 2.6 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information
Oil price special
coverage
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 8
Administration (EIA) is due to release official government inventory data Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT
(1430 GMT).
In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, producers have cut daily oil production by roughly 42 percent due to
Hurricane Michael, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said. The cuts represent
718,877 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production.
While production has been cut because of the hurricane, “down time is expected to be brief and
Gulf of Mexico output now accounts for a comparatively small portion of total U.S. production”, Jim
Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note to clients.
U.S. oil output is expected to rise 1.39 million bpd to a record 10.74 million bpd, the EIA said in its
monthly forecast on Wednesday.
Oil Set for Worst 2-Day Drop Since July as Stock Turmoil Spreads
Oil headed for the biggest two-day drop since July, with fuels from diesel to gasoline also declining
as fears over a worsening trade war rattled markets across the board.
Futures dropped as much as 1.8 percent in New York, after sliding 2.4 percent Wednesday. As
trade tensions between the U.S. and China escalate, investors are shunning risk assets from
equities to oil on fears over slowing growth. The S&P 500 Index slumped the most since February
while the Nasdaq 100 Index had its worst day in seven years. Meanwhile, Hurricane
Michael became the strongest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since 1992 as it made landfall in
Florida, slashing fuel demand in the Southeast.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 9
“It’s a typical spillover effect and oil’s been hit by the widespread sell-off in risk assets as the
intensifying trade row stokes concerns over sluggish global demand,” Will Yun, a commodities
analyst at Hyundai Futures Corp., said by phone. “If it were not for the trade dispute, the oil market
probably would have kept its momentum on lingering supply risks.”
Crude had surged to a four-year high earlier this month with impending American sanctions against
Iran set to curtail exports from the OPEC’s third-largest producer. U.S. President Donald Trump has
repeatedly demanded the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries pump more to temper
prices. While the rally has eased, traders continue to speculate whether the cartel and its allied
producers can offset dwindling supplies from Iran to Venezuela.
West Texas Intermediate for November delivery declined as much as $1.32 to $71.85 a barrel on
the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $71.92 at 12:14 p.m. in Seoul. Prices are on course
for the worst two-day slide since July 17 after closing at the lowest level since Sept. 27 on
Wednesday. Total volume traded was about 65 percent above the 100-day average.
Brent for December settlement was $1.52 lower at $81.57 a barrel on the London-based ICE
Futures Europe exchange, after falling $1.91 on Wednesday. The global benchmark crude traded
at a $9.78 premium to WTI for the same month.
In equity markets, both the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped more than
3 percent, while the Nasdaq 100 Index fell as much as 4.5 percent. The rout continued into Asian
hours, with equity benchmarks from Japan to Hong Kong plunging.
In the U.S., Hurricane Michael has curtailed 40 percent of offshore crude output in the Gulf of
Mexico this week, and is set to cause as much as $16 billion in damage. Gasoline futures dropped
as much as 2 percent to $1.9808 a gallon, sliding for a third day. Demand for the motor fuel typically
falls in the wake of a hurricane because roads become impassable and filling stations end up without
power. Diesel slumped more than 1 percent.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 10
NewBase Special Coverage
News Agencies News Release 08 October 2018 -2018
The U.S.A continues to increase production of Oil & Gas
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production
As domestic production continues to increase, the average density of crude oil produced in the
United States continues to become lighter. The average API gravity—a measure of a crude oil’s
density where higher numbers mean lower density—of U.S. crude oil increased in 2017 and through
the first six months of 2018.
Crude oil production with an API gravity greater than 40 degrees grew by 310,000 barrels per day
(b/d) to more than 4.6 million b/d in 2017. This increase represents 53% of total Lower 48 production
in 2017, an increase from 50% in 2015, the earliest year for which EIA has oil production data by
API gravity.
API gravity is measured as the inverse of the density of a petroleum liquid relative to water. The
higher the API gravity, the lower the density of the petroleum liquid, meaning lighter oils have higher
API gravities. The increase in light crude oil production is the result of the growth in crude oil
production from tight formations enabled by improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 11
Along with sulfur content, API gravity determines the type of processing needed to refine crude oil
into fuel and other petroleum products, all of which factor into refineries’ profits. Overall U.S. refining
capacity is geared toward a diverse range of crude oil inputs, so it can be uneconomic to run some
refineries solely on light crude oil.
Conversely, it is impossible to run some refineries on heavy crude oil without producing significant
quantities of low-valued heavy products such as residual fuel.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production
API gravity can differ greatly by production area. For example, oil produced in Texas—the largest
crude oil-producing state—has a relatively broad distribution of API gravities with most production
ranging from 30 to 50 degrees API.
However, crude oil with API gravity of 40 to 50 degrees accounted for the largest share of Texas
production, at 55%, in 2017. This category was also the fastest growing, reaching 1.9 million b/d,
driven by increasing production in the tight oil plays of the Permian and Eagle Ford.
Oil produced in North Dakota’s Bakken formation also tends to be less dense and lighter. About
90% of North Dakota’s 2017 crude oil production had an API gravity of 40 to 50 degrees. The oil
coming from the Federal Gulf of Mexico (GOM) tends to be more dense and heavier.
More than 34% of the crude oil produced in the GOM in 2017 had an API gravity of lower than 30
degrees and 65% had an API gravity of 30 to 40 degrees.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 12
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production and Monthly Imports Report
In contrast to the increasing production of light crude oil in the United States, imported crude oil
continues to be heavier. In 2017, 7.6 million b/d (96%) of imported crude oil had an API gravity of
40 or below, compared with 4.2 million b/d (48%) of domestic production.
EIA collects API gravity production data by state in the monthly crude oil and natural gas production
report as well as crude oil quality by company level imports to better inform analysis of refinery
inputs and utilization, crude oil trade, and regional crude oil pricing. API gravity is also projected to
continue changing: EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2018 Reference case projects that U.S. oil
production from tight formations will continue to increase in the coming decades.
Both natural gas supply and demand have increased from year-ago levels
In the first half of 2018, U.S. natural gas supply and demand grew significantly compared to the first
half of 2017. According to EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly, natural gas consumption and exports
averaged 93.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during the first half of 2018, or 12% greater than
during the first half of 2017.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 13
Total supply of U.S. natural gas, including domestic production, imports, and storage withdrawals,
averaged 93.3 Bcf/d during the first half of 2018, a 12% increase from the first half of 2017.
The increase in U.S. natural gas supply was driven by production, especially from the Appalachia
region. Total U.S. dry natural gas production rose 7.4 Bcf/d (10%) compared to the same period last
year. The additional pipeline capacity brought into service since June 2017 has enabled production
increases, including the Leach XPress, the Rover Pipeline, and Phase 1 of Atlantic Sunrise, all of
which transport natural gas out of the Northeast region.
Domestic natural gas consumption in the first half of 2018 increased in all sectors compared with
year-ago levels. The largest growth occurred in the residential and commercial sectors, which
increased by 3.8 Bcf/d (16%) combined, compared to the first half of 2017.
Residential and commercial consumption is primarily related to heating needs, and the beginning
of 2018 experienced record, prolonged cold temperatures across many of the Lower 48 states.
Population-weighted heating degree days, a temperature-based proxy for heating demand, were
17% higher in the United States during the first half of 2018 than in the first half of 2017.
In the U.S. electric power sector, power plants used 3.6 Bcf/d (16%) more natural gas during the
first half of 2018 compared with the same time last year. Electricity demand tends to increase as
hot weather increases demand for air conditioning or as cold weather increases demand for electric
space heating. Natural gas consumption in the power sector has also increased with the increased
buildout of natural gas-fired power plants in much of the country.
Industrial consumption of natural gas in the United States (including lease and plant fuel) was 1.6
Bcf/d (6%) higher in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017. Industrial consumption
of natural gas is affected by weather-related space heating needs, particularly in the Northeast and
Midwest.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 14
In addition, industrial consumption is a function of industry-specific demand and market factors. For
example, natural gas used in petroleum refining will vary with refinery throughput while natural gas
consumed by the fertilizer industry will reflect the needs of the fertilizer market.
Gross U.S. exports of natural gas have also increased from year-ago levels. Liquefied natural gas
(LNG) exports, which mostly go to countries in Asia, and pipeline exports, which go to Mexico and
Canada, collectively increased by an average of 0.7 Bcf/d (8%) from the first half of 2017 to the first
half of 2018. LNG exports increased after Train 4 at the Sabine Pass LNG export facility was
completed in October 2017 and Cove Point LNG export terminal began operations in March 2018.
Overall, consumption and exports increased 2.7 Bcf/d more than production and imports in the first
half of the year, which prompted withdrawals of natural gas from storage facilities. Relatively high
net withdrawals and low net injections so far in 2018 have resulted in natural gas inventories falling
18% lower than the previous five-year average as of September 21, 2018.
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 15
NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
The Editor :”Khaled Al Awadi” Your partner in Energy Services
NewBase energy news is produced daily (Sunday to Thursday) and
sponsored by Hawk Energy Service – Dubai, UAE.
For additional free subscription emails please contact Hawk
Energy
Khaled Malallah Al Awadi,
Energy Consultant
MS & BS Mechanical Engineering (HON), USA
Emarat member since 1990
ASME member since 1995
Hawk Energy member 2010
Mobile: +97150-4822502
khdmohd@hawkenergy.net
khdmohd@hotmail.com
Khaled Al Awadi is a UAE National with a total of 28 years of experience in
the Oil & Gas sector. Currently working as Technical Affairs Specialist for
Emirates General Petroleum Corp. “Emarat“ with external voluntary Energy
consultation for the GCC area via Hawk Energy Service as a UAE operations
base , Most of the experience were spent as the Gas Operations Manager in
Emarat , responsible for Emarat Gas Pipeline Network Facility & gas
compressor stations . Through the years, he has developed great experiences
in the designing & constructing of gas pipelines, gas metering & regulating
stations and in the engineering of supply routes. Many years were spent drafting, & compiling gas
transportation, operation & maintenance agreements along with many MOUs for the local
authorities. He has become a reference for many of the Oil & Gas Conferences held in the UAE
and Energy program broadcasted internationally, via GCC leading satellite Channels.
NewBase : For discussion or further details on the news above you may contact us on +971504822502 , Dubai , UAE
NewBase October 2018 2018 K. Al Awadi
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 16
Copyright © 2018 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 17
For Your Recruitments needs and Top Talents, please seek our approved agents below

New base energy news october 11 2018 no 1205 by khaled al awadi

  • 1.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 1 NewBase Energy News 11 October 2018 - Issue No. 1205 Senior Editor Eng. Khaled Al Awadi NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE Iraq: DNO Peshkabir Kurdistan production hits 50,000 bopd WAM/Rasha Abubaker DNO’s largest shareholder is UAE-based RAK Petroleum. DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced that production at the Peshkabir field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq has ramped up to 50,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), meeting the end-2018 target ahead of schedule and below budget. One of two recently completed wells, Peshkabir-7, is producing over 10,000 bopd from nine Cretaceous zones through temporary test facilities. The other, Peshkabir-6, drilled as a production well, but with the additional objective of appraising deeper formations, has established a deeper Cretaceous oil/water contact level than previously estimated. Further testing is under way, including test production of multiple producing zones. The Peshkabir-8 well, spudded in late August, is drilling ahead at 2,325 metres. Once completed, the rig will move to spud Peshkabir-9 in November. Four other wells at Peshkabir now produce at a combined rate of close to 40,000 bopd following a workover at Peshkabir-3 which boosted production from that well to 11,000 bopd from 8,000 bopd.
  • 2.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 2 Peshkabir production is processed through temporary test facilities until commissioning of a central processing facility with a capacity of up to 50,000 bopd by end-2018. The Company is also installing a 10-inch pipeline from Peshkabir to Fish Khabur with a capacity of 60,000 bopd. Field production is currently transported to Fish Khabur by tanker truck and a 6-inch pipeline. At the Company's flagship Tawke field, the Tawke-50 shallow Jeribe well drilled to a depth of 320 metres will be brought on production within the next few days. The Tawke-49 Cretaceous well is drilling ahead at 2,245 metres and will be completed later this month. Two additional Tawke wells, one each in the Jeribe and the Cretaceous, will be drilled by the end of the year. Workovers are also underway at two wells. Tawke production currently stands at just over 80,000 bopd. Elsewhere in Kurdistan, the Company is about to spud its first well on the Baeshiqa licence. Baeshiqa contains two undrilled structures with multiple target reservoirs in the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic. The first well will target the Cretaceous and will be followed by a back-to-back well to test the deeper Jurassic and Triassic on the same structure. A third well to test the Jurassic and Triassic on a separate structure will be drilled in 2019. "We are all-in on our Kurdistan operations and delivering," DNO's Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, said. "Peshkabir continues to exceed expectations and we are eager to probe the promising potential at Baeshiqa," he added. In Norway, the Company will participate in two exploration wells to be spudded later this year. DNO currently holds 21 licences in the country and plans an additional five exploration wells next year. The Company's growing Norway portfolio is complemented by a 28.22 percent shareholding in UK- listed Faroe Petroleum plc. "With USD 1 billion in financial assets, including more than USD 600 million in cash and the balance in marketable securities and treasury shares, we are well-positioned to grow our footprint in Kurdistan and Norway with the drill bit and the acquisition of producing assets," Mossavar-Rahmani said. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, DNO holds stakes in onshore and offshore licences at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, Oman, the United Kingdom and Yemen.
  • 3.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 3 UAE:Dubai's Dragon Oil plans $500mln in acquisitions in 2019 Reuters + Zawya + NewBase Dragon Oil, a subsidiary of Dubai's Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), plans to invest about $500 million next year in oil and gas assets as part of an international expansion strategy, its chief executive told Reuters. The upstream investment arm of Dubai government-owned ENOC Group, the company aims to boost its production to 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2025 The upstream investment arm of Dubai government-owned ENOC Group, the company aims to boost its production to 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2025 and is eyeing new opportunities in Turkmenistan, North Africa and Iraq, Ali Rashid al-Jarwan said. "We are trying to improve our profitability, our efficiency and our sustainability and for that purpose we are continuously looking for opportunities to improve our portfolio," al- Jarwan said in an interview on Wednesday. "We are a cash positive company". Dragon Oil's main assets abroad are in Turkmenistan’s Cheleken field, where it produces close to 90,000 bpd, al-Jarwan said. The company also has exploration assets in Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. "We have a program of acquisition to supplement our growth strategy, because our strategy indicates that we have to go to 300,000 (boepd) by 2025," he said. "We are looking at Africa mainly, especially North Africa." In Iraq, the company has oil operations in Iraq's southern Basra region and production has started from the Faihaa-1 well. In Algeria, Dragon Oil is continuing with its exploration activities and hopes for commercial gas operations there to begin after 2019, al-Jarwan said.
  • 4.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 4 Egypt: GE wins contract for Egypt's first nuclear power plant The National - Dania Saadi + Cairo Post + NewBase Cairo plans to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2022 and 42 per cent by 2035. Corbis. Egypt is building the reactors in partnership with Russia's Rosatom GE won a contract to supply equipment and services to Egypt’s first nuclear power plant being built in cooperation with Russian state-run nuclear firm Rosatom, the company announced Tuesday. GE did not disclose the value of the contract that includes the supply of four nuclear turbine generators to El Dabaa in the northern part of the country. “As Egypt works to diversify its energy production and to support its growing economy, the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, equipped with GE Power’s Arabelle technology, will help Egypt deliver on their ambitious goals,” said Andreas Lusch, chief executive of GE’s Steam Power. Moscow and Cairo agreed in 2015 to build a nuclear power plant in the North African country, with Moscow offering a loan to cover the construction cost. The 4,800 megawatt plant is expected to cost an estimated $21 billion (Dh77.1bn). Egypt is seeking to diversify its power generation mix in order to lower reliance on fossil fuels as feedstock. Cairo plans to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs from renewables by 2022 and 42 per cent by 2035. Egypt could generate 53 per cent of its electricity mix from renewables by 2030, double the share expected from current plans and policies, the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Tuesday.
  • 5.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 5 With renewable power, heat and fuels all involved in the mix, renewables could provide 22 per cent of Egypt’s total final energy supply in 2030, up from just 5 per cent overall in 2014. “While investments in renewables would have to increase, the proposed shift would cut the country’s energy costs by $7 per megawatt hour (MWh) on balance, even before considering the health benefits of reducing air pollution,” the report said. Egypt’s first nuclear power station was originally approved in August 2010 under the leadership of Hosni Mubarak. The project has been controversial since its announcement and was met with opposition from the local community and tourism developers who raised environmental concerns about the potentially devastating effects of the nuclear station. The workers’ union of the Egyptian Automatic Energy Authority accused the governor of deceiving Dabaa residents, telling them that the project would take up just 2.5 square kilometres of land, while in reality it would take up 50 square kilometres owned by the authority (2). In 2012, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights documented several violations that Dabaa residents faced over the course of project’s history, including unfair monetary compensation for the land the government confiscated in 1981, the forced displacement of residents in 2003, the destruction of residents’ homes, plants and wells, and discrimination against Dabaa residents in the provision of services and opportunities that disallowed them from maintaining a suitable standard of living (4, 5). In March 2011, after the popular uprising that ousted President Mubarak, Egypt's electricity minister said that the country would go ahead with the tender for the plant's construction (3). Between November 2011 and January 2012 groups of residents took action to demand that the project be terminated through land occupation, sit-ins, and the stealing of radioactive material (1, 3). Dozens were wounded in January 2012 when military police tried to disperse hundreds of Egyptian protesters (2) Following a period of political transition, Egypt’s military intelligence took over management of the Dabaa nuclear power plant project and communications with residents in 2013. Some report that military intelligence was more responsive than than the ministries of interior and electricity that had previously handled the issue, presenting residents’ demands directly to Al Sisi, who was the defense minister at the time (4) In February 25, 2017, the government organised a convention to announce residents’ acceptance of the project (4). Hamdy Hafez, a member of the Dabaa residents’ coordination committee and a founder of the Dabaa Youth Association explains the state promised to build 1,500 housing unit for Dabaa residents, and 110 apartment blocks for the projects’ workers. Residents would also be given employment priority in the future power plant. Each landowner was granted LE30,000 in compensation per feddan (4,200m2), regardless of whether the land had been left vacant or was on mountainous or agricultural land. The prosecution also dropped investigations into cases where residents had been detained in the 2003 eviction and released those who were being held in detention. If residents are satisfied with the immediate short-term gains they were able to extract from the government, questions remain about long-term environmental safety and economic justice. Indeed, while a financial agreement was reached in August 2017 between Egypt and Russia for the provision of a Russian state-backed loan of $25 billion for the $30 billion project (5), environmental researchers argue that the state’s study into the plant’s economic and social costs is insufficient (4).
  • 6.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 6
  • 7.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 7 NewBase 11 October 2018 - 2018 Khaled Al Awadi NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502 , Dubai , UAE Oil extends losses as markets fall, inventories climb Reuters + Bloomberg + NewBase Oil prices slumped to two-week lows on Thursday as global stock markets fell, with investor sentiment made more bearish by an industry report showing U.S. crude inventories rising more than expected. Brent crude LCOc1 fell $1.58 a barrel to a low of $81.51, its lowest since Sept. 27, before recovering a little to trade around $81.70 by 0850 GMT. Brent lost 2.2 percent on Wednesday. On Oct. 3, it hit a four-year high of $86.74. U.S. light crude CLc1 dropped $1.28 to $71.89 but then recovered to around $72.05. The contract lost 2.4 percent in the previous session. “The up-trend is over for the moment, and a new direction is settling in,” said Robin Bieber, technical chart analyst at London brokerage PVM Oil. “The market looks like heading lower, with valid targets Crude inventories climbed by 9.7 million barrels in the week to Oct. 5 to 410.7 million, compared with analyst expectations for an increase of 2.6 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information Oil price special coverage
  • 8.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 8 Administration (EIA) is due to release official government inventory data Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT). In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, producers have cut daily oil production by roughly 42 percent due to Hurricane Michael, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said. The cuts represent 718,877 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production. While production has been cut because of the hurricane, “down time is expected to be brief and Gulf of Mexico output now accounts for a comparatively small portion of total U.S. production”, Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note to clients. U.S. oil output is expected to rise 1.39 million bpd to a record 10.74 million bpd, the EIA said in its monthly forecast on Wednesday. Oil Set for Worst 2-Day Drop Since July as Stock Turmoil Spreads Oil headed for the biggest two-day drop since July, with fuels from diesel to gasoline also declining as fears over a worsening trade war rattled markets across the board. Futures dropped as much as 1.8 percent in New York, after sliding 2.4 percent Wednesday. As trade tensions between the U.S. and China escalate, investors are shunning risk assets from equities to oil on fears over slowing growth. The S&P 500 Index slumped the most since February while the Nasdaq 100 Index had its worst day in seven years. Meanwhile, Hurricane Michael became the strongest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since 1992 as it made landfall in Florida, slashing fuel demand in the Southeast.
  • 9.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 9 “It’s a typical spillover effect and oil’s been hit by the widespread sell-off in risk assets as the intensifying trade row stokes concerns over sluggish global demand,” Will Yun, a commodities analyst at Hyundai Futures Corp., said by phone. “If it were not for the trade dispute, the oil market probably would have kept its momentum on lingering supply risks.” Crude had surged to a four-year high earlier this month with impending American sanctions against Iran set to curtail exports from the OPEC’s third-largest producer. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries pump more to temper prices. While the rally has eased, traders continue to speculate whether the cartel and its allied producers can offset dwindling supplies from Iran to Venezuela. West Texas Intermediate for November delivery declined as much as $1.32 to $71.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $71.92 at 12:14 p.m. in Seoul. Prices are on course for the worst two-day slide since July 17 after closing at the lowest level since Sept. 27 on Wednesday. Total volume traded was about 65 percent above the 100-day average. Brent for December settlement was $1.52 lower at $81.57 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, after falling $1.91 on Wednesday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $9.78 premium to WTI for the same month. In equity markets, both the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped more than 3 percent, while the Nasdaq 100 Index fell as much as 4.5 percent. The rout continued into Asian hours, with equity benchmarks from Japan to Hong Kong plunging. In the U.S., Hurricane Michael has curtailed 40 percent of offshore crude output in the Gulf of Mexico this week, and is set to cause as much as $16 billion in damage. Gasoline futures dropped as much as 2 percent to $1.9808 a gallon, sliding for a third day. Demand for the motor fuel typically falls in the wake of a hurricane because roads become impassable and filling stations end up without power. Diesel slumped more than 1 percent.
  • 10.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 10 NewBase Special Coverage News Agencies News Release 08 October 2018 -2018 The U.S.A continues to increase production of Oil & Gas Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production As domestic production continues to increase, the average density of crude oil produced in the United States continues to become lighter. The average API gravity—a measure of a crude oil’s density where higher numbers mean lower density—of U.S. crude oil increased in 2017 and through the first six months of 2018. Crude oil production with an API gravity greater than 40 degrees grew by 310,000 barrels per day (b/d) to more than 4.6 million b/d in 2017. This increase represents 53% of total Lower 48 production in 2017, an increase from 50% in 2015, the earliest year for which EIA has oil production data by API gravity. API gravity is measured as the inverse of the density of a petroleum liquid relative to water. The higher the API gravity, the lower the density of the petroleum liquid, meaning lighter oils have higher API gravities. The increase in light crude oil production is the result of the growth in crude oil production from tight formations enabled by improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
  • 11.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 11 Along with sulfur content, API gravity determines the type of processing needed to refine crude oil into fuel and other petroleum products, all of which factor into refineries’ profits. Overall U.S. refining capacity is geared toward a diverse range of crude oil inputs, so it can be uneconomic to run some refineries solely on light crude oil. Conversely, it is impossible to run some refineries on heavy crude oil without producing significant quantities of low-valued heavy products such as residual fuel. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production API gravity can differ greatly by production area. For example, oil produced in Texas—the largest crude oil-producing state—has a relatively broad distribution of API gravities with most production ranging from 30 to 50 degrees API. However, crude oil with API gravity of 40 to 50 degrees accounted for the largest share of Texas production, at 55%, in 2017. This category was also the fastest growing, reaching 1.9 million b/d, driven by increasing production in the tight oil plays of the Permian and Eagle Ford. Oil produced in North Dakota’s Bakken formation also tends to be less dense and lighter. About 90% of North Dakota’s 2017 crude oil production had an API gravity of 40 to 50 degrees. The oil coming from the Federal Gulf of Mexico (GOM) tends to be more dense and heavier. More than 34% of the crude oil produced in the GOM in 2017 had an API gravity of lower than 30 degrees and 65% had an API gravity of 30 to 40 degrees.
  • 12.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 12 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production and Monthly Imports Report In contrast to the increasing production of light crude oil in the United States, imported crude oil continues to be heavier. In 2017, 7.6 million b/d (96%) of imported crude oil had an API gravity of 40 or below, compared with 4.2 million b/d (48%) of domestic production. EIA collects API gravity production data by state in the monthly crude oil and natural gas production report as well as crude oil quality by company level imports to better inform analysis of refinery inputs and utilization, crude oil trade, and regional crude oil pricing. API gravity is also projected to continue changing: EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2018 Reference case projects that U.S. oil production from tight formations will continue to increase in the coming decades. Both natural gas supply and demand have increased from year-ago levels In the first half of 2018, U.S. natural gas supply and demand grew significantly compared to the first half of 2017. According to EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly, natural gas consumption and exports averaged 93.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during the first half of 2018, or 12% greater than during the first half of 2017.
  • 13.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 13 Total supply of U.S. natural gas, including domestic production, imports, and storage withdrawals, averaged 93.3 Bcf/d during the first half of 2018, a 12% increase from the first half of 2017. The increase in U.S. natural gas supply was driven by production, especially from the Appalachia region. Total U.S. dry natural gas production rose 7.4 Bcf/d (10%) compared to the same period last year. The additional pipeline capacity brought into service since June 2017 has enabled production increases, including the Leach XPress, the Rover Pipeline, and Phase 1 of Atlantic Sunrise, all of which transport natural gas out of the Northeast region. Domestic natural gas consumption in the first half of 2018 increased in all sectors compared with year-ago levels. The largest growth occurred in the residential and commercial sectors, which increased by 3.8 Bcf/d (16%) combined, compared to the first half of 2017. Residential and commercial consumption is primarily related to heating needs, and the beginning of 2018 experienced record, prolonged cold temperatures across many of the Lower 48 states. Population-weighted heating degree days, a temperature-based proxy for heating demand, were 17% higher in the United States during the first half of 2018 than in the first half of 2017. In the U.S. electric power sector, power plants used 3.6 Bcf/d (16%) more natural gas during the first half of 2018 compared with the same time last year. Electricity demand tends to increase as hot weather increases demand for air conditioning or as cold weather increases demand for electric space heating. Natural gas consumption in the power sector has also increased with the increased buildout of natural gas-fired power plants in much of the country. Industrial consumption of natural gas in the United States (including lease and plant fuel) was 1.6 Bcf/d (6%) higher in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017. Industrial consumption of natural gas is affected by weather-related space heating needs, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest.
  • 14.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 14 In addition, industrial consumption is a function of industry-specific demand and market factors. For example, natural gas used in petroleum refining will vary with refinery throughput while natural gas consumed by the fertilizer industry will reflect the needs of the fertilizer market. Gross U.S. exports of natural gas have also increased from year-ago levels. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, which mostly go to countries in Asia, and pipeline exports, which go to Mexico and Canada, collectively increased by an average of 0.7 Bcf/d (8%) from the first half of 2017 to the first half of 2018. LNG exports increased after Train 4 at the Sabine Pass LNG export facility was completed in October 2017 and Cove Point LNG export terminal began operations in March 2018. Overall, consumption and exports increased 2.7 Bcf/d more than production and imports in the first half of the year, which prompted withdrawals of natural gas from storage facilities. Relatively high net withdrawals and low net injections so far in 2018 have resulted in natural gas inventories falling 18% lower than the previous five-year average as of September 21, 2018.
  • 15.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 15 NewBase For discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE The Editor :”Khaled Al Awadi” Your partner in Energy Services NewBase energy news is produced daily (Sunday to Thursday) and sponsored by Hawk Energy Service – Dubai, UAE. For additional free subscription emails please contact Hawk Energy Khaled Malallah Al Awadi, Energy Consultant MS & BS Mechanical Engineering (HON), USA Emarat member since 1990 ASME member since 1995 Hawk Energy member 2010 Mobile: +97150-4822502 [email protected] [email protected] Khaled Al Awadi is a UAE National with a total of 28 years of experience in the Oil & Gas sector. Currently working as Technical Affairs Specialist for Emirates General Petroleum Corp. “Emarat“ with external voluntary Energy consultation for the GCC area via Hawk Energy Service as a UAE operations base , Most of the experience were spent as the Gas Operations Manager in Emarat , responsible for Emarat Gas Pipeline Network Facility & gas compressor stations . Through the years, he has developed great experiences in the designing & constructing of gas pipelines, gas metering & regulating stations and in the engineering of supply routes. Many years were spent drafting, & compiling gas transportation, operation & maintenance agreements along with many MOUs for the local authorities. He has become a reference for many of the Oil & Gas Conferences held in the UAE and Energy program broadcasted internationally, via GCC leading satellite Channels. NewBase : For discussion or further details on the news above you may contact us on +971504822502 , Dubai , UAE NewBase October 2018 2018 K. Al Awadi
  • 16.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 16
  • 17.
    Copyright © 2018NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or otherwise copied without the written permission of the authors. This includes internal distribution. All reasonable endeavours have been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, no warranty is given to the accuracy of its content. Page 17 For Your Recruitments needs and Top Talents, please seek our approved agents below