Current energy woes have forced the Kingdom of Jordan to decide on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2014, energy officials announced over the weekend.
At the same time, Jordan will float this fall a tender for the LNG terminal it committed to construct at the Red Sea Port of Aqaba by 2014, Alaa Batayneh, minister of energy and mineral resources, said in a press conference.
REUTERS
Arrow Energy’s final investment decision on its Moranbah Gas liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the northern Bowen Basin in eastern Australia will be out in late 2013, according to chief executive Andrew Faulkner.
Although the kingdom has not yet entered into a deal with any LNG supplier, Qatar has been by far a preferred choice, MENAFN News reported, especially after positive results came from a round of advanced talks last week.
Jordan initially thought to explore its own Risheh natural gas fields in the northeastern desert, being more reliable and cheaper to LNG. It awarded the project to British energy major BP in 2009. Discovered in the 1980s, Risheh covers an area of around 7 square kilometres or 2.7 square miles.
However, the kingdom eventually shelved plans after BP said it would be unable to complete the project ahead of schedule. The project could have had expanded the field's production to up to one billion cubic feet daily.
Follow us
Left with no alternatives, and also affected over Egypt's domestic struggles, Jordan ultimately resorted to LNG importation.
Jordan has long been dependent on Egyptian gas. However, the latter has yet to fully regain production levels as sabotage acts have periodically slashed supply in February 2011.
Follow us on LinkedIn 
LinkedIn
