( MEBG ) - ENI's presence in Qatar dates back to the 1960s. Snamprogetti has been present in Qatar since1964, and in 1967 Agip acquired a 20 percent interest in an offshore concession that included the North Field Gas Reservoir. All foreign holdings were nationalized in 1976.
In 1991 Agip acquired a 45 percent participating interest offshore Blocks 1 and 6. Block 1 was later relinquished.
Production from the Alkhalij offshore field, which today is the main oil interest of ENI in Qatar, started in 1997. It expected that production will rise from 7,000 bpd in the present up to 19,000 bpd by 2003. In the engineering and oilfield services sector, Saipem installed a sea line in the North Dome Field.
Natural Gas & Petrochemical Sectors
In March 2000 Snamprogetti signed a contract with QGPC for the construction of a gas lift plant in Dukhan Field, which the largest onshore oil field in the country and is located on Qatar’s west coast.
The project worth $200 million.It involves the injection of gas for artificial lift in order to maintain the planned production of oil and increase its ultimate recovery. Snamprogetti will supply detailed engineering, materials and equipment, construction and start-up. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2002.
In the petrochemical sector, ENIChem has a 10 percent share in the Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO), which operates a petrochemical plant that produces ethylene (525,000 t/y) and LDPE (360,000 t/y).
In November 1999 ENIChem and the Qatar General Petroleum Co. (QGPC) signed an interim agreement to build a 100,000 ton/year of TDI plant (used for production of polyurethane foams), using ENIChem technology. QGPC will participate with a 51 percent share and ENIChem with the remaining 49 percent share.
In August 1999 QGPC awarded a lump sumturn key contract to Snamprogetti for the construction of the Natural Gas Liquid Complex NGL- 4. The project aims to enhance the recovery of ethane from the Arab-D field in Dukhan and from the North Field Gas plant in Mesaieed, to transport the NGL across the Qatar peninsula with a new pipeline and, finally, to treat them in the new NGL- 4 plant to produce ethane and export products (propane, butane and gasoline).
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
