Jordan wants to build a refinery at Aqaba, to process Iraqi crude from a planned pipeline linking Basra to the Red Sea-facing port, as the country aims to reduce its energy imports by 2020, its oil minister said on Tuesday.
"Currently the refinery [at Zarqa] is being upgraded. If there will be a pipeline from Iraq, we will be looking to build a new refinery in Aqaba," Hala Zawati said. "[We're building] another one so that white product can be immediately exported through Aqaba."
She did not provide any details on the cost of building the project. White Spirit, commonly known as turpentine, is a by-product produced during the oil refining process.
The Jordanian cabinet in February approved a million barrel per day pipeline that sources oil from southern Iraqi fields in Basra. The country is currently undertaking a $1.6 billion expansion of its sole refinery at Zarqa to boost capacity to 120,000 bpd.
_____________
Read more:
Iraq could transport up to 1 million barrels of oil per day via Jordan's Red Sea port
Jordan approves Iraq pipeline, as Baghdad looks for alternative export routes
Jordan awards oil shale concessions as it looks to energy independence
_____________
Ms Zawati said that of the million bpd transported via the planned pipeline, Jordan’s consumption would be around 150,000 bpd.
"[The Iraqis] are excited today about the pipeline as they were excited before, but the political situation did not allow for that to materialise, but we hope that they will mobilise on this project. There will be talks very soon. Jordan cannot use all the capacity of the line,” she said.
Jordan had already begun importing Egyptian gas on an “experimental basis”, with plans under way to increase the offtake in 2019. "There are negotiations on how much will be pumped and we hope that one-third of the country’s requirements will be taken from Egypt,” said Ms Zawati.
The country’s natural gas consumption would be around 350 million cubic per day, much of it met through the liquefied natural gas terminal in Aqaba, as well as from Egyptian gas.
Construction of the pipeline sourcing gas from Israel’s massive Leviathan field is ongoing and would become “operational in 2020”, she said. “It depends on the development of the field and the readiness of Israel to export,” said Ms Zawati.
Tel Aviv and Amman, which have a peace treaty, agreed to transfer $10bn worth of natural gas via a 65km-pipeline from Israel. Once operational, the gas will be connected to an existing line in Mafraq, and then distributed to the kingdom’s power plants to generate electricity.
Jordan's fiscal balance deteriorated as a result of its import bill and dwindling grants and financial aid after oil prices slumped in 2014. In June, the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia extended a $2.5 billion aid package to the kingdom to help stabilise its economy. The country's unemployment stands at 18.7 per cent of the population, according to rating agency Moody’s.
External debt is equivalent to about 72 per cent of gross domestic product, and the country's economy expanded 2 per cent in 2017. Earlier in 2018, Jordan suffered its biggest protests in years, prompted by price hikes, subsidy cuts and other fiscal measures taken by the government to reduce debt.
Jordan will also look to reduce its energy imports to 84 per cent from 95 per cent by 2020, according to Ms Zawati who cited increased activity in the kingdom’s oil shale programme.
"We will be going from 95 per cent of energy imported today to 84 per cent in 2020, and this is dependent on projects currently being built on the ground,” she said.
Jordan, according to the World Energy Council, has the world's eighth largest reserves of oil shale, which is not to be confused with shale oil. It is formed of organic fine-grained sedimentary rock, from which oil can be extracted through heating. The kingdom wants to lessen the burden of energy imports that continues to widen its fiscal deficit.
Ms Zawati revised up Jordan’s oil shale reserves to fourth-largest in the world and said the country was targeting start-up of a project with an Estonian company by 2020.
"This is what we’re looking for companies and developers that come and invest in oil shale."
Shell has been working in Jordan alongside three other companies. The tech for two of the companies has been identified, and we’re hoping that they would be able to close the finance very soon,” she said.
In February, Jordan's energy ministry awarded a Saudi company 40-year rights to extract two oil shale reserves.
The agreement with Amman's Karak International Oil as well as the Saudi Arabian Corporation for Oil Shale would produce 25,000 bpd and 30,000 bpd of crude respectively, from deposits in the Lajoun and Umm Ghadran areas, with 2,500 bpd targeted at the initial phase, the ministry said at the time.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Kathmandu.%20Fares%20with%20Air%20Arabia%20and%20flydubai%20start%20at%20Dh1%2C265.%3Cbr%3EIn%20Kathmandu%2C%20rooms%20at%20the%20Oasis%20Kathmandu%20Hotel%20start%20at%20Dh195%20and%20Dh120%20at%20Hotel%20Ganesh%20Himal.%3Cbr%3EThird%20Rock%20Adventures%20offers%20professionally%20run%20group%20and%20individual%20treks%20and%20tours%20using%20highly%20experienced%20guides%20throughout%20Nepal%2C%20Bhutan%20and%20other%20parts%20of%20the%20Himalayas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes