NE W S
Reports from the Regional Coordinators In this issue we bring you updates from IGU’s Regional Coordinators for Africa and the Middle East and for the Russia-Black Sea-Caspian area. Africa and the
demand. Bahrain and Sharjah are set to
Egypt shipped out 107.7 mtpa, while
Middle East
become new importers in 2019 and
the MENA region imported 24.5 mtpa.
By Khaled Abu Bakr
will between them take an additional
Based on forecasts, both imports and
The share of natural
10 mtpa of LNG, within a matter of
exports are set to grow making the
gas in the world’s
years. Morocco may soon join the club
MENA region one of the most exciting
energy portfolio is
too. It wants to reduce its dependence
LNG markets to study.
increasing rapidly
on piped gas from Algeria and to
with the discovery and development of
diversify its energy mix. Rabat plans to
Mediterranean Sea have had a
large new gas fields. Natural gas has
build a 2 mtpa LNG-import terminal on
significant change on the natural
become the favourite among fossil
Morocco’s Atlantic coast, near El Jadida.
gas industry and trade worldwide.
fuels because burning natural gas is
Last year, regional gas producers
December 2017 marked the first
Qatar, Algeria, Abu Dhabi, Oman and
commercial gas production from
cleaner than oil and emits half as much carbon dioxide as coal combustion. Africa and the Middle East have a vibrant and significant role in the global energy industry as a whole, and especially in the natural gas trade with
v December 2017 marked the first commercial gas production from Egypt’s Zohr Field.
booming reserves and significant supply for all the world’s markets. Focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), although the region is a gas-exporting giant its growing popu lation and economic expansion have created one of the fastest-growing LNG import markets. Egypt and Abu Dhabi, previously exporters of LNG, are now also re-gasifying cargoes. Jordan joined the LNG importers’ club in 2015 and established importers Turkey, Dubai and Kuwait are ramping up their volumes to meet growing energy
94 Reports from the Regional Coordinators
Recent gas discoveries in the
