Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, July 28 -- The UAE's Dolphin Energy has awarded a $418 million contract to Russia's Stroytransgaz for the construction of the Taweelah-Fujairah natural gas pipeline (TFP).
Construction of the 48-in., 240-km line will begin in the third quarter, with completion expected in 2010. The line will link Dolphin's receiving facilities at Taweelah in Abu Dhabi with Fujairah on the UAE's eastern coast.
The award for the TFP line pipe was announced in December 2007, with the $200 million order going to Salzgitter Mannesmann International GMBH for the supply of 120,000 tons of X70, 48-in. coated line pipe. More than 40% of the pipe's length has been received, with delivery completion set for spring 2009.
Dolphin already supplies the UAE with gas from Qatar via a 48-in., 364-km subsea export pipeline connecting the company's Ras Laffan gas processing plant in Qatar with the receiving facilities at Taweelah. The pipeline can carry as much as 56.6 million cu m/day of gas or 20.7 billion cu m/year.
In June Oman started preparations for the import of Qatari gas. Omani Oil and Gas Minister Muhammad bin Hamed al-Rumhi said a key receiving station at al-Buraimi, on Oman's border with the UAE, was being readied ahead of the imminent arrival of the gas. "We are hopeful that Dolphin gas will begin flowing next month," said Al-Rumhi.
His statement followed earlier reports that Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Dolphin had signed a 25-year pipeline deal for Dolphin to lease and operate ADNOC's Eastern Gas Distribution System (EGDS) in Abu Dhabi (OGJ Online, June 18, 2008).
EGDS, which is used to supply gas to ADNOC's customers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will be leased by Dolphin to deliver the company's processed gas from Qatar to customers across the UAE, as well as Oman.
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].