Dolphin achieves daily gas production target

Abu Dhabi: Dolphin Energy Limited yesterday said it has for the first time achieved its targeted daily production volume of two billion standard cubic feet (scf) of gas through the Dolphin gas pipeline which connects Qatar with the UAE.

"We reached throughput of two billion standard cubic feet per day on Sunday," a Dolphin Energy official told Gulf News.

The gas throughput in energy terms is more than 350,000 barrels of oil equivalent.

Provision has been made to expand throughput to 3.2 billion standard cubic feet per day, depending on any future agreements between Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Dolphin chief executive officer Ahmad Ali Al Sayegh, said: "I am proud that we've been able to achieve our agreed maximum daily production rate under our agreement with Qatar, whose support for this project has been essential to its success."

He added: "Our next target is to meet our daily target consistently, and we shall shortly be able to fulfil our gas sales agreement to supply Oman."

Dolphin's initial supplies of processed natural gas from Qatar's fields to the UAE began to flow in July 2007.

Since then, Dolphin Energy has been transporting gas through the company's export pipeline in ever increasing quantities.

Production has gradually been pumped up as all elements of the company's complex gas processing plant at Qatar's Ras Laffan have been tested and commissioned.

The gas is produced from Dolphin's 24 production wells offshore Qatar.

It is then processed at the Ras Laffan gas processing plant and the natural gas compressed and pumped through the 48 inch, 364 kilometre subsea export pipeline - the longest and largest in the Middle East.

The transportation of the compressed, refined gas is to Abu Dhabi's Taweelah. From Taweelah, the gas is being distributed by landline to contracted customers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Dolphin Energy has contracted to supply Oman with up to 200 million standard cubic feet per day of gas from the second half of this year.

Al Sayegh previously told Gulf News that "at least $4.5 billion" has been invested in the Dolphin gas project and transportation of the gas from Qatar will be Dolphin Energy's "core activity."

Dolphin Energy is owned 51 per cent by Mubadala Development Company on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi and 24.5 per cent each by Total of France and Occidental Petroleum of the United States.

Our next target is to meet our daily target consistently, and we shall shortly be able to fulfil our gas sales agreement to supply Oman."

Ahmad Ali Al Sayegh

Dolphin's chief executive officer