The project is anticipated to produce more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas/day when it comes onstream.
The UAE-based Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) has made it to the headlines for apparently awarding a construction contract that depicts the extent of its (offshore) sour gas development project at Ghasha.
The contract, as per sources familiar with the knowledge of the matter, is valued at around USD 1.36 billion, and entails the NMDC (National Marine Dredging Co.) of Abu Dhabi to construct two causeways and ten artificial islands, thereby paving the way for expanding the Al Ghaf island.
An official press release by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. claims that the project will run its course over a period of more than three years (around 38 months, precisely). Seemingly, the project comes on the heels of what ADNOC had called one of the biggest marine environmental baseline surveys in the history of the United Arab Emirates. Credible reports cite that the work covers the first phase of development of the Ghasha Concession, and encompasses the sour gas fields of Ghasha, Hail, and Dalma. The project will majorly include land reclamation, marine construction, and dredging.
Reliable sources claim that ADNOC has enlisted the support of three major partners for the said construction, namely, OMV, owning a 5% stake in the Ghasha Concession, Wintershall, with a 10% share, and Eni, holding the largest stake of 25% of the Ghasha Concession. The mega-project is anticipated to produce more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas/day when it comes onstream (around the middle of the next decade), substantial enough to deliver electricity to over two million homes. Additionally, the project will also develop over 120,000 barrels per day of high-value condensates and oil.
The ten artificial islands to be constructed are expected to be named after the pearl-diving sites in the area – namely, Mudaifena, Sawalem, Duroob, Seebeh, Shalhah, Ghanem, Reeah, Seemeh, Jzool, and Chananiz.