ABU DHABI: The arrival and startup of Abu Dhabi’s first FSRU earlier this month has given the emirate a much-needed supply boost at the height of its summer demand peak. Excelerate Energy delivered the vessel – which is moored at Ruwais, 240 km west of Abu Dhabi city – before receiving its first cargo, Emirates News Agency reported on 8 August.
Dubai has been importing LNG since 2010 and the United Arab Emirates became a net importer of natural gas in 2008. Although Abu Dhabi is still exporting LNG via its Das Island plant, it will now also receive LNG shipments via the FSRU to meet its domestic gas needs.
Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (GASCO), a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), which holds a 68% share, Shell (15%), Total (15%) and Partex (2%), is responsible for the facility. The FSRU will be able to supply an extra 14 million cubic metres of gas per day to the grid. The FSRU was deployed quickly to meet Abu Dhabi’s immediate gas needs. Plans to build a 9 mtpa land-based terminal in Fujairah were put on hold earlier this year and Abu Dhabi pressed ahead with its first FSRU as a quicker route to LNG imports.
“Without a doubt, meeting Abu Dhabi’s growing demand for gas is a critical objective and is high on our priorities,” said Saif al-Nasseri, chief executive of GASCO. “The FSRU will enable local gas diversification and puts ADNOC in a stronger position to meet today’s energy requirements and forecast demand in the future.” Abu Dhabi is struggling to maintain its domestic gas production levels and is taking measures to stem long-term decline. ADNOC says it is focusing on its offshore acreage to boost production.
“We will always need more gas because there is a shortage of the fuel in the country, but we are committed to supplying whatever we can from the offshore [fields],” Qasem al-Kayoumi, manager of ADNOC’s offshore division, told Interfax Natural Gas Daily earlier this year. However, a $1 billion development project to exploit the Al-Dabbiya oil and gas field was put on hold this summer. Kayoumi said he expects the number of rigs in operation in Abu Dhabi in 2016 to be lower than in 2015.
