ميريام بلعة

المركزية– تتقدَّم عمليات الحفر واستكشاف النفط والغاز التي تجريها المنصّة العائمة في الـ”بلوك 9″ في المياه الإقليمية اللبنانية بقيادة “توتال إنرجي”، بوتيرة سريعة جداً من دون أي صعوبات أو عراقيل، بحسب المعلومات المتداولة في الساعات الأخيرة والتي رجّحت أن تصدر النتائج الأوّلية لعملية الحفر قبل 15 يوماً من الموعد المحدَّد!

هذه المعطيات حملتها “المركزية” إلى خبير الطاقة الدولي رودي بارودي لاستشراف أي معطى جديد في الأمد القريب، وعما يتوقّعه من المرحلة الاستكشافية مع بدء عمل الباخرة  TRANSOCEAN BARENTS في البلوك 9، فيُجيب بارودي: لقد قام الكونسورتيوم الذي تترأسه شركة “توتال” والذي يضمّ شركات “توتال” و”إيني” و”قطر للطاقة” بما وعد به والتزم باستئجار هذه المنصّة الاستكشافية الرئيسية. لكن للأسف، لم تقم الحكومة اللبنانية بدورها بعد، فلبنان يحتاج أولاً وقبل كل شيء إلى انتخاب رئيس للجمهورية وهو أمر مهم جداً للبلاد. كما على السلطات اللبنانية القيام بالكثير من الإصلاحات العاجلة، والأكثر إلحاحاً هو إحياء و/أو تعيين هيئة جديدة لإدارة قطاع البترول اللبنانية، علماً أنه تم تشكيل الهيئة في العام 2012، وقام أعضاؤها بأعمال كثيرة ومهّدوا الطريق أمام عملية الاستكشاف، إنما انتهت مدة ولاية الهيئة في العام 2018، ومنذ ذلك الحين غادر العديد من أعضائها لبنان أو استقال.

ويُضيف: الإصلاح الثاني الأكثر أهمية هو الإصلاح القضائي على المستويات كافة من أجل حماية مصالح لبنان وشركات النفط والغاز الكبرى. ومن المعروف أن القضاء المستقل يجذب الاستثمارات المهمة، من هنا فإن استعادة الثقة بالقضاء وعلى كل الأصعدة، واجبٌ. إضافة إلى ذلك، من الضروري تطبيق الإصلاحات المطلوبة من المجتمع الدولي ولا سيما الإصلاحات المالية التي تعطي الثقة مجدداً بالقطاع المصرفي، وبالطبع يجب إقرار قانون صندوق سيادي يوافق بين الحاجات اللبنانية والمبادئ العالمية، خصوصاً لناحية الشفافية. لذلك ينبغي القيام بدراسة معمّقة لقانون الصندوق السيادي ليكون صندوقاً شفافاً يمكنه أن يؤدي واجباته على أكمل وجه، خصوصاً أن الثروة النفطية هي ملك الشعب اللبناني ويُفترض عدم التفريط بها.

ولم يغفل بارودي الإشارة في هذا المجال، إلى أنه “في حال وجد لبنان النفط في مياهه الإقليمية، فإن الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر (FDI) الذي سيحتاجه الكونسورتيوم الذي تترأسه “توتال”، سيتراوح بالتأكيد ما بين 1 و3 مليارات دولار، وذلك حسب البنية التحتية اللازمة. علماً أن الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر يحتاج دائمًا إلى سيادة القانون والشفافية المطلقة والاستقرار السياسي”.

موجودات الـ”بلوك 9″

وعن رأيه في احتمالية موجودات الـ”بلوك 9″ وعما إذا كان هناك من أمل، يقول بارودي “إذا نظرنا إلى هذه الخريطة الحصريّة لـ”المركزية” والتي تُظهر موقع باخرة BARENT Ocean Rig، سنرى من موقعها أنها بالكاد تبعُد 3 أميال فقط عن خطوط الحدود البحرية الجديدة بين لبنان وإسرائيل. وإذا نظرنا أيضًا إلى الجنوب الغربي، فهي بعيدة حوالي 8.3 أميال، هذه هي المسافة التي تفصلها عن حقل غاز “كاريش”. إضافة إلى ذلك، فإن أن سفينة الحفر لا تبعُد أكثر من 25-30 ميلاً عن الخطوط البحرية اللبنانية القبرصيّة حيث تم اكتشاف كميّات تجاريّة. من هنا،  فإن احتمال وجود كميّات تجاريّة في البلوكات اللبنانية 8 و9 و10 وفقًا لعلماء الجيولوجيا الأميركيين، مرتفعة جدًا.

ويُلفت في هذا السياق، إلى أن “مساحة الـ”بلوك 9″ تبلغ حوالي ± 1700 كيلومتر مربّع، ومساحة الـ”بلوك 8″ من ± 1400 كيلومتر مربّع، ومساحة الـ”بلوك 10” ± 1380 كيلومتراً مربّعاً على بُعد أميال قليلة جنوبًا، حيث تقع حقول الغاز مثل “تمار” و”كاريش” و”ليفياثان”، ويُضيف: يتمتّع لبنان وحوض “ليفياثان” بشكل عام، بإمكانات عالية جداً ليس فقط في البحر إنما أيضاً في البرّ. هذا ما أكّدته دراسات عديدة موثوقة منذ العام 1992.

ويختم بارودي: بالتالي، هناك إمكانات كبيرة لاستكشافات تجاريّة واعدة، ما يحتاج إليه لبنان هو الاستعداد لتلقي الموارد النفطية والغازية بطريقة آمنة لضخ هذه الثروة في الاقتصاد والتنمية الاجتماعية والرعاية الصحية، وإطفاء الديون المالية… كل ذلك، شرط إجراء إصلاحات حقيقيّة وعلى كل الأصعدة المالية والاقتصادية، وإبعاد المناكفات السياسية عن هذا الملف الحساس.

Qatar was the second top global LNG exporter in June, latest data from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) has shown.
Among the GECF member countries, Qatar topped in liquefied natural gas exports last month.
Total global LNG exports reached 32.18mn tonnes during June. The increase in LNG exports from non-GECF countries and a rise in LNG reloads outweighed the lower LNG exports from GECF member countries.
The share of non-GECF countries and LNG reloads in global LNG exports increased from 50% and 0.6%, respectively, from a year earlier to 50.4% and 0.8% in June 2023.
Conversely, GECF’s market share in global LNG exports decreased from 49.4% to 48.8%.
During H1, 2023, cumulative global LNG exports reached 205.45mn tonnes, indicating a 4.1% increase (8.06mn tonnes) y-o-y.
Last month, the US, Qatar and Australia were the top LNG exporting countries, GECF noted.
In June, LNG exports from GECF member countries and observers declined by 1% (0.15mn tonnes) y-o-y, reaching a total of 15.69mn tonnes.
The weaker LNG imports were driven by Russia, Egypt, Nigeria, Malaysia, Equatorial Guinea, Norway and the United Arab Emirates.
Conversely, LNG exports increased in Qatar, Angola, Algeria, Mozambique, Trinidad and Tobago and Peru.
During H1, 2023, cumulative LNG exports from GECF member and observer countries increased by 2.2% (2.13mn tonnes) y-o-y, totalling 99.93mn tonnes.
In Russia, higher maintenance activity at the Sakhalin 2 and Yamal LNG facilities led to a reduction in LNG exports, the report said.
Lower feedgas availability in Egypt and Nigeria contributed to the decline in LNG exports in both countries.
In June, Egypt did not export any LNG cargo.
The decline in Malaysia’s LNG exports was mainly attributed to weaker exports from the Bintulu LNG facility.
An unplanned outage at the Hammerfest LNG facility caused a drop in LNG exports from Norway.
On the other hand, lower maintenance activity at the Qatargas LNG and Soyo LNG facilities boosted LNG exports from Qatar and Angola.
In Algeria and Trinidad and Tobago, higher feedgas availability supported the increase in LNG exports from both countries.
The continued ramp-up in LNG exports from the Coral South FLNG facility drove Mozambique’s LNG exports higher.
In June, global LNG imports expanded sharply by 6.8% (2.09mn tonnes) y-o-y to reach 32.85mn tonnes.
This growth was primarily driven by a strong rebound in Asia Pacific’s LNG imports, with higher imports in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) also having some contribution. Conversely, the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region experienced a decline in LNG imports.
During the first half (H1) of 2023, cumulative global LNG imports grew by 4% (7.95mn tonnes) y-o-y to 206.62mn tonnes.
The bulk of the increase in global LNG imports during H1 2023 came from Europe, followed by Asia Pacific, LAC and North America. This offset the lower LNG imports in the Mena region, GECF noted.

Qatar’s LNG projects will achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through carbon capture and sequestration as well as the use of solar energy, noted HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida al-Kaabi.
“In all, we aim to reduce the overall carbon intensity by about 30% compared to previous generation designs,” al-Kaabi said delivering the keynote address on the virtual mode at the 12th LNG Producer-Consumer Conference being held in Tokyo, Japan.
Al-Kaabi, who is also the President and CEO of QatarEnergy stressed the need for a clear roadmap with specific targets to achieve a fair and effective energy transition with a realistic and stable path towards the reduction of the global carbon footprint.
The minister said, “I would like everyone around the world calling for a speedy energy transition to consider that the world needs a fair and effective transition with a realistic and stable path, which wisely balances humans flourishing with environmental protection, it should not continue to only focus on the needs of the rich and well-developed countries but must prioritise the needs of developing countries.
“This highlights the need for a realistic and resolute energy transition, starting with a solid integration of natural gas in the energy mix of today and tomorrow. We strongly believe that Gas will be needed as a safer reliable base load in the energy mix for most nations for decades well beyond 2050.”
Highlighting the challenges facing the energy industry, Minister al-Kaabi said, “Lack of investments in the oil and gas upstream sector remain as an unresolved and unchallenged chronic problem, contributing to greater lack of clarity, volatility, and supply uncertainty. This lack of investment will likely cause increased instability for every region around the world.”
In this context, al-Kaabi said, “Qatar is providing the world with the cleanest available hydrocarbon source of energy, which has met both the economic and environmental aspirations for a better future. By 2029, about 40% of all new global LNG supplies will be provided by QatarEnergy projects.
Minister al-Kaabi concluded his remarks by stressing the State of Qatar’s determination to work with its clients and partners to realise the full potential of LNG as a vital contributor to a realistic and responsible energy transition, and to continue to take concrete action across the entire spectrum of the energy industry to address the challenges of climate change.
The LNG Producer-Consumer Conference is a global annual dialogue, launched in 2012, organised by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre.
It provides ministers, heads of international organizations, corporate executives, and other stakeholders with a venue to share the latest trends in the global LNG market and discussing opportunities and challenges with a view to its development.

ATHENS, Greece – June 25, 2023: Lebanon should follow up last year’s maritime boundary agreement with Israel by seeking similar deals with Cyprus and Syria, a regional energy expert told a high-profile energy conference in Athens on Wednesday.

“Lebanon should be pursuing open and unbiased dialogues with both of these neighbors, and the parties should continue the talks until their boundaries are fully mapped and officially settled,” said Roudi Baroudi, CEO of Energy and Environment Holding, an independent consultancy based in Doha, Qatar.

Speaking to an audience of industry leaders and senior government officials at the Athens Energy Summit, Baroudi cited several reasons to prioritize such agreements, including the fact that Lebanon and Syria have each “designated offshore oil and gas blocks that overlap by considerable margins.”

“If these are not rectified, the results could mean that investors will stay away from both sides, or they will slow-walk their exploration activities, or even that relations could deteriorate,” he told the audience. “Any one of these developments would undermine the interests of all concerned.”

Baroudi rooted his remarks in the need for coastal states to abide by the rule of law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The UNCLOS rules are available to all, their interpretation has been further defined by court verdicts, arbitration, and bilateral treaties, and the technology required to determined fair boundaries is within the financial grasp of virtually all states,” he explained. “What this means in practice is that governments can know in advance what a court or an arbitrator would say about their maritime boundary claims. So long as there is good will on both sides, this radically simplifies the process.”In addition to protecting their own interests, Baroudi argued, Lebanon and its neighbors would also be setting a useful example for other Mediterranean countries.

He pointed specifically to the case of Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, where the absence of settled Turkish-Cypriot and Turkish-Greek maritime boundaries threatens to block a planned pipeline that would carry East Med gas to mainland. That project is seen as a crucial for Europe’s plans to replace energy imports from Russia, which have been sharply curtailed since the latter’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but the CEO of Italian energy giant Eni recently warned that it would not go forward without Turkish approval.

“The Turks, the Greeks, and the Cypriots disagree about many things, but they also have a shared interest in both economic development and, therefore, in the stability required to accelerate it,” Baroudi said. “UNCLOS provides a reliable mechanism, rooted in science and a rules-based application thereof, which could provide the framework for them to start discussing their differences in a controlled manner.”

Baroudi’s presentation also included the unveiling of several exclusive maps he commissioned from one of the world’s leading providers of high-precision mapping, based on satellite imagery, and other geotechnical services. The maps indicate where, following the rules laid down by UNCLOS, the future maritime boundaries are likely to be situated.

A four-decade veteran of the energy industry with experience in both the public and private sectors, Baroudi is also the author of several books on the subject, including, “Maritime Disputes in the Mediterranean: The Way Forward”. That work, published in 2021 by the Transatlantic Leadership Network, rightly predicted that the Lebanon-Israel agreement could be resolved by both using the UNCLOS guidelines as a model and employing unconventional remedies to certain aspects of their boundary dispute.

QatarEnergy, and its joint-venture partners TotalEnergies, Petrobras, and PETRONAS Petróleo Brasil Ltd (PPBL) signed the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the Agua-Marinha block, which was awarded to the consortium in December 2022 in the 1st Cycle Permanent Offer round, by Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP).
Under the terms of the PSC and associated agreements, QatarEnergy will hold a 20% working interest, alongside TotalEnergies (30%) Petrobras (operator, 30%), and PPBL (20%).
Commenting on this occasion, HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, also the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “We are pleased to sign the Production Sharing Contract with our partners and with Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy. This signing builds on QatarEnergy’s sizeable upstream presence in Brazil, and we look forward to progressing with exploration activities on this highly prospective block. I wish to thank Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels and the Brazilian authorities for this opportunity and their ongoing support.”
The Agua-Marinha block has a total area of 1,300sq km and is located in water depths of about 2,000m within the prolific Campos Basin. The work programme includes drilling one exploration well during the exploration period.

HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi said Qatar potentially will run out of gas for supplies from the North Field expansion by the year-end, because of “very big demand” for long-term contracts.
“We have signed a large contract with China. We have other deals that we are working on. With so many deals lining up, we will potentially run out of gas from the North Field – both North Field East and North Field South. There is very big demand. Additional gas from the North Field will be available by 2026; all contracts have been awarded,” al-Kaabi said at a ministerial session at the Qatar Economic Forum Powered by Bloomberg in Doha Tuesday.
The expansion project will increase Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity from 77mn tonnes per year (MTPY) to 126 MTPY, through the North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) expansion projects, with first LNG expected by 2026.
Qatar will add 65mn tonnes per year of LNG to meet the growing needs of the world from its North Field expansion and its project in the United States, al-Kaabi said.
“We don’t follow what others say we should do…we do what is technically possible with our fields. When it’s the right time and technically we can do it, we’ll definitely do more,” the minister said.
Talking about the gas supply and demand situation in future, al-Kaabi said, “There is going to be a shortage in oil and gas in future, predominantly due to the push on (energy) transition. It is really aggressive without studying it. If you look at economic and environment stability, these are not mutually exclusive… we have to have both.
“And if you push some countries into doing that, that doesn’t help humanity in general. The only thing that saved humanity and Europe this year was a warm winter and the slowdown in the economy worldwide. If the economy comes back in 2024, the worst is yet to come,” said al-Kaabi.
“If you look at future, whether it is oil or gas, because of decade-long lack of investments, due to the push to transition of energy, there is going to be shortage for both.”
Al-Kaabi emphasised the need to have a “mix” of all energy resources and said, “You need a mix of all energy sources and people need to realise that you need oil, gas and renewables. People talk about renewables as if it’s a fix-all.
“If you look at renewables you can generate electricity from wind and solar, but you can’t make plastics or any sort of such products. So by saying renewables generate electricity does not solve the problem, you need a proper energy mix. And it can’t be driven by politics and politicians wanting to get in the seat to say this is the solution. It’s a nice pitch to say energy transition, but when you dig down and look at the reality, it’s not achievable.”
Al-Kaabi said he was “thrilled” that the G7 final communique spoke about the need for more LNG for the world and warned the world would face a shortage of oil and gas due to a lack of investment.
“I am thrilled that finally the G7 in their final communique said they need more LNG to be supplied to the world. We’ve been saying this for the last 10 years,” al-Kaabi noted.

NEW DELHI, May 17 (Reuters) – India’s oil imports from Russia rose to a fresh record high in April, further reducing the share of Middle Eastern and African grades to their lowest level in at least 22 years, data obtained from trade sources showed.

Refiners in India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, are on a Russian oil-buying binge after some countries shunned purchases from Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Asia’s third-largest economy imported about 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil in April, about 4.4% higher than the previous month, the data showed. That accounts for about two-fifths of the nation’s overall purchases.

Higher imports from Russian raised the share of oil from the C.I.S. countries – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia – to 43.6% of an overall 4.81 million bpd imported by India last month.

That narrowed the share of the Middle Eastern grades, which traditionally have accounted for the bulk of total oil imports, to about 44% and African oil to 3.4% last month, the data showed.

Russia remained the top oil supplier to India for the sixth-straight month in April, followed by Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

“Indian refiners have cut their spot purchases of Middle Eastern and West African grades as we are getting supply of Russian oil at lower prices,” said an Indian refining official at an Indian refinery.

Oil imports from Russia also rose as Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country’s top refiner, raised the size of its annual import deal with Rosneft (ROSN.MM).

India’s oil imports from Iraq in April declined by 3.1% from the previous month to a 4-month low of 928,400 bpd, while imports from Saudi Arabia fell by 11% to 723,800 bpd, the least in five months, the data showed.

Lower purchases of oil from the Middle East dragged OPEC’s share of India oil imports to a record low of 46%, the data showed.

Qatar – Uptick in LNG imports from Qatar contributed to higher LNG imports in India and Pakistan in April this year, GECF’ latest data show.

In April 2023, Asia Pacific’s LNG imports continued to recover and increased by 5% (1.05mn tonnes) y-o-y to 20.50mn tonnes, which was slightly lower than the imports in April 2021.

China, India, Thailand, and Pakistan contributed to the bulk of the incremental increase in LNG imports and offset weaker imports in Japan. Asia Pacific’s cumulative LNG imports from January to April this year rose by 3% (2.6mn tonnes) y-o-y to 89.12mn tonnes,

Doha-headquartered Gas Exporting Countries Forum said.
China’s LNG imports continued to recover in April and recorded the highest year-on-year increase since September 2021. The rebound in economic and industrial activity boosted gas consumption, driving LNG imports higher.

Pipeline gas imports to the EU increased by 3% month-on-month, to reach 14 bcm in April.

Global LNG imports surged by 10% y-o-y to 34.4mn tonnes, setting a new record high for imports in April. The increase was driven by stronger LNG imports across all regions, especially in the Asia Pacific and Europe.

In Europe, the rise in LNG imports continues to compensate for the lower pipeline gas imports into the region.

Meanwhile, the rebound in gas consumption in China, opportunistic buying in India due to lower spot LNG prices, and declining gas production and pipeline gas imports in Thailand contributed to the increase in the Asia Pacific’s LNG imports.

Furthermore, Philippines joined the ranks of LNG importers in April, GECF noted.

As of April, the restocking of gas storage sites has commenced. In the EU, the average level of gas in underground storage was 59.4bcm, which amounts to 57% of the region’s storage capacity.

In the US, the level of underground gas storage increased to 55.6bcm, representing 42% of its capacity.

A slower stockbuild is expected in both the EU and US this summer due to the high levels of gas already in storage. The combined LNG in storage in Japan and South Korea was estimated at 9.8bcm.

According to GECF, gas and LNG spot prices in Europe and Asia continued their downward trend for the fourth consecutive month. In April, the Title Transfer Facility (TTF), which is the main reference virtual market for gas trading in Europe and Northeast Asia (NEA) LNG spot prices, averaged $13.69/MMBtu and $12.10/MMBtu, respectively, representing a 1% and 9% decrease compared to the previous month.

The TTF spot price was 57% lower y-o-y, while the NEA LNG spot price experienced a decline of 58% y-o-y. With the arrival of the shoulder season, the market witnessed a decrease in tightness as a result of ample storage levels and strong LNG supply.

However, in Asia, there was some emerging buying activity in anticipation of the summer season, which helped limit the decline in spot LNG prices, GECF said.

ستطلق وحدة الغاز التي تم تشكيلها مؤخرًا من قبل شركة الطاقة الحكومية الإماراتية أدنوك في سوق أبوظبي للأوراق المالية يوم الاثنين طرح عام أولي بقيمة 2.5 مليار دولار.

وقد شهدت أسهم شركة أدنوك للغاز ، التي دخلت حيز التشغيل في بداية هذا العام ، زيادة كبيرة في الاكتتاب حتى بعد توسيع الطرح من 4.0 إلى 5.0 في المائة من رأس المال المصدر في استجابة للاهتمام القوي من قبل الاسواق.

تم تحديد السعر النهائي للسهم  عند 2.37 درهم (0.65 دولار) للسهم ، حيث جمع حوالي 2.5 مليار دولار ما يعني رسملة سوقية بنحو 50 مليار دولار.

ويعتبر غاز أدنوك ألاكثر نشاطا في بورصة أبو ظبي حتى الآن ، اذ تجاوز الاكتتاب 50 مرة ، وهو أكبر طلب على الإطلاق لطرح عام أولي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا ، متجاوزًا الرقم القياسي العالمي لشركة أرامكو السعودية البالغ 29.4 مليار دولار قبل ما يزيد قليلاً عن ثلاث سنوات.

يأتي الاكتتاب العام الأولي المنظم بسرعة من أدنوك ، إحدى أكبر شركات النفط في العالم ، في أعقاب التدافع العام الماضي على موارد الغاز البديلة بعد الغزو الروسي لأوكرانيا ، ويأتي في الوقت الذي تبحث فيه البلدان عن وقود أنظف للتخفيف من ظاهرة الاحتباس الحراري.

وفي هذا المجال قال مستشار الطاقة رودي بارودي ، الذي يرأس شركة الطاقة والبيئة القابضة ومقرها قطر ، إنه يتوقع زيادة الطلب عند بدء تداول الأسهم.

واضاف بارودي لوكالة فرانس برس ” كل الأسباب تجعلنا نتوقع أن الزيادة الهائلة في الاكتتاب التي رأيناها ستنتقل إلى اهتمام قوي عندما يتم طرح الأسهم علنا”.

وتحتفظ شركة بترول أبوظبي الوطنية ، المصدر الرئيسي للإيرادات في الإمارات العربية المتحدة ، بحصة 90 بالمئة في الشركة التابعة التي تشكلت من وحدات معالجة الغاز والغاز الطبيعي المسال والغاز الصناعي التابعة لها.

يُوصف الغاز بأنه أنظف من أنواع الوقود الأحفوري الأخرى حيث تسعى البلدان في جميع أنحاء العالم للحد من انبعاثاتها.

وقال البارودي إن الغاز الطبيعي المسال هو “أهم وقود انتقالي في عملية الابتعاد عن الوقود الاحفوري”.

في عام 2021 ، أنتجت الإمارات 57 مليار متر مكعب (bcm) من الغاز الطبيعي ، أو حوالي 1.4٪ من الإنتاج العالمي ، وفقًا لمراجعة BP الإحصائية للطاقة العالمية.

وقالت المجلة الإحصائية إن الإمارات صدرت في العام نفسه 8.8 مليار متر مكعب من الغاز الطبيعي المسال ، أي 1.7 بالمئة من صادرات الغاز الطبيعي المسال العالمية.

وقال بارودي: “مع تسارع وتيرة الجهود العالمية لمكافحة تغير المناخ ، من المتوقع على نطاق واسع أن ينمو دور الغاز الطبيعي بشكل عام”.

تتمتع أدنوك بسمعة طيبة ، لذلك كان من المتوقع أن يجذب الاكتتاب العام في أدنوك للغاز اهتمامًا كبيرًا.

UAE state energy company ADNOC’s recently formed gas unit will launch on the Abu Dhabi stock market on Monday in a $2.5 billion initial public offering aimed at tapping high demand for the fuel.

Shares in ADNOC Gas, which only became operational at the start of this year, were heavily oversubscribed even after the offering was expanded from 4.0 to 5.0 percent of issued share capital in response to strong interest.

The final price was set at 2.37 dirhams ($0.65) per share, towards the top of its range, raising about $2.5 billion and implying a market capitalisation of around $50 billion.

ADNOC Gas is the biggest flotation yet on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange, which opens at 9:30 am (0530 GMT).

At more than 50 times oversubscribed, it is the biggest demand ever seen for an initial public offering in the Middle East and North Africa, outstripping oil firm Saudi Aramco’s world-record $29.4 billion listing just over three years ago.

The rapidly organised IPO from ADNOC, one of the world’s biggest oil firms, follows last year’s scramble for alternative gas resources after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and comes as countries search for cleaner fuels to mitigate global warming.

Energy consultant Roudi Baroudi, who heads the Qatar-based Energy and Environment Holding firm, said he expected brisk demand when the shares start trading.

“There is every reason to expect that the massive oversubscription we saw will carry over into strong interest when the shares are floated publicly,” Baroudi told AFP.

– ‘Transition fuel’ –

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the United Arab Emirates’ key revenue-earner, retains a 90 percent stake in the subsidiary formed from its former gas processing, LNG and industrial gas units.

Gas is being touted as cleaner than other fossil fuels as countries around the world strive to reduce their emissions.

Baroudi said Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) was “the most important transition fuel in the move away from hydrocarbons”.

In 2021, the UAE produced 57 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas, or about 1.4 percent of global output, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy.

That same year, the Emirates exported 8.8 bcm of LNG, 1.7 percent of world LNG exports, the Statistical Review said.

“As global efforts to battle climate change gain pace, the role of natural gas in general… is widely expected to grow,” Baroudi said.

“ADNOC enjoys a solid reputation, so it was to be expected that the ADNOC Gas IPO would attract strong interest.”

ADNOC Gas could be the first in a series of share offerings in Abu Dhabi this year.

At least eight companies are expected to follow in fields ranging from technology to asset management and regenerative medicine, Bloomberg said, citing Sameh Al Qubaisi, director general of economic affairs at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Economic Development.

https://www.digitaljournal.com/business/uaes-adnoc-gas-to-start-trading-in-2-5bn-ipo/article