On the background of relatively low oil prices, several countries drew attention to a gas, thereby trying to balance its budget. A special role among them is played by Russia, Iran, Qatar. But if the first supply of “blue fuel” in most pipelines, the latter — Qatar — is one of the main world leaders in the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The role of Qatar on the LNG market is constantly increasing, and he begins to come to the forefront in the world, successfully competing with other gas powers. A special role is played by Europe, which the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani seeks not only to establish economic cooperation, but simply to make friends. For example, the German RWE Supply & Trading GmbH (RWEST) and Qatar’s Qatargas company entered into an agreement to supply 1.1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas to Europe. The term of the contract is for 7.5 years, according to Reuters. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but known volume of deliveries and the term of the contract. This is only a small example of business cooperation.
Other major Qatari company RasGas LNG production made a deal with the French Corporation EDF for the supply of 2 million tons of fuel per year in Dunkerque (France), writes the news online Daily Herald, citing Associated Press. The supply of liquefied natural gas are already in place at terminals in Rovigo (Italy) and Zeebrugge (Belgium). The Qatari company has to its credit three contracts with subsidiaries of EDF in Italy and Belgium. Today, thanks to refrigeration technology natural gas, Qatar became the largest LNG supplier in the world.
It should be noted that the French oil giant Total will receive 30% of the concession, which develops the oil field al-Shaheen Al-Shaheen) offshore Qatar in the Persian Gulf. The agreement for this reason, the European concern has signed with Qatar Petroleum in Qatar’s capital Doha, and the company will be included in the project since July 14, 2017 for 25 years.
To do this, Qatar Petroleum and the French concern will create a joint venture North Oil Co, which will deal with the development of the field for a quarter century. In the next five years, the JV plans to invest in al-Shahin $ 2 billion to support exploration and to develop options for increasing production.
Al-Shaheen, as you know, comes together with the Spirit and IDD-El-Shargi the three fields that provide 85% of all oil production in Qatar. The fishery produces 300 thousand barrels of feedstock per day, approximately 40% of the total oil production in the country. The existing production complex consists of 30 platforms and 300 wells.
To Poland in June of this year came the first commercial batch of Qatari liquefied natural gas, reports Bloomberg, citing a statement by the operator of the Polish gas transportation system (GTS) Gaz-System S. A. the Ship al nuaman (Al Nuaman), owned by Qatargas, has moored at the LNG terminal in świnoujście with 210 thousand cubic meters of liquefied gas in tanks.
On the capacity of Polish terminal is, according to Bloomberg, 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. About one third of the annual consumption of fuels in Poland. According to others, the LNG terminal in świnoujście is able to provide half the country’s needs in gas (7.5 billion cubic meters per year), and the government already has plans of increasing its capacity to 10 billion cubic meters.
All this fits into a strategy to achieve Poland by 2022 full independence from gas supplies from Russia, declared by the government earlier this month. In late may, Warsaw announced that the country intends to cooperate with Gazprom on a long term basis after the expiration of a long-term contract with the Russian supplier in 2022-m. the strategy of gas of the independence of Poland, in addition to the expansion of the terminal in Swinoujscie, the project includes construction of a gas pipeline from the offshore fields of Norway to the Baltic coast of the country. It should be noted that the price of LNG supplies from Qatar are much higher than Russian gas by pipeline and imposes an additional burden on the Polish budget. But in this case Warsaw and its rulers put anti-Russian policy above the economy and social policy in the country, which will further lead to increase in prices of gas, which will pay ordinary Polish consumers.
However Qatar on the gas front, and in particular the last time he literally comes on the heels of Iran, who came out of the sanctions regime and the accelerated pace is reviving its economy, including dramatically increased production of “blue fuel”. According to Iranian media, Iran will soon bring the annual gas production from South Pars 177 billion cubic meters per year.
It is natural that with the increase of gas production is growing and exports. As long as Iran where little overlap with the export of Qatari gas as he delivers the “blue fuel” in countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Pakistan. For example, the issue of increasing the supply of gas and electricity from Iran to Turkey will be the main subject of discussion during the upcoming visit of the Minister of energy and natural resources of Turkey Berat of Albaraka in Tehran. But the Iranian leadership is actively looking at other markets, including in Europe. For example, Iran wants Turkey to actively adjust the supply of gas to Europe. And, apparently, not far off, the time will come when these two countries – Qatar and Iran – will begin active war for gas supplies around the world.
