Dolphin Energy

The Dolphin Project is a unique energy initiative with regular supplies of natural gas being delivered from Qatar to customers throughout the UAE and Oman. It is a strategic project that brings together three countries – Qatar, the UAE and Oman – in the only international gas network in the region.

Dolphin Energy Limited was established in March 1999 as an initiative of the Government of Abu Dhabi. From the beginning, its founders conceived Dolphin as a force for international energy cooperation that would unite the vision and resources of the region with multinational capital and expertise.

After nine years of visionary planning, drilling, construction and engineering, this unique venture had finally come to fruition. Today, Dolphin is delivering 2 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas every single day, providing a source of clean, new energy for the Southern Gulf.

The overall investment in constructing the entire Dolphin Gas Project has made it one of the largest energy-related ventures ever undertaken in the Middle East at a cost of USD$4.8 billion.

Dolphin Energy’s gas production in Qatar and subsequent transmission to the UAE and Oman demonstrates the enduring support of the Governments of the UAE, Qatar and Oman. Each has been the essential factor in enabling the national and international stakeholders in Dolphin Energy to assemble the skills, technologies and multidisciplinary implementation teams essential to the success of the project.

Above all, Dolphin Energy’s gas from Qatar will continue to support development, utilities and industries throughout the region for the next 25 years – creating wealth, growth and employment for GCC citizens for decades to come.

Dolphin Energy Limited is owned 51 percent by Mubadala Development Company, on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi – and 24.5 percent each by Total of France and Occidental Petroleum of the USA.

The task undertaken to bring the Dolphin Gas Project to completion has therefore been considerable. Three distinct elements were involved:

Upstream

Dolphin’s drills and extracts sufficient quantities of ‘wet gas’ from the natural gas-bearing Khuff Zone in Qatar’s North Field – gas which lies between 10,000 and 12,000 feet (3,000 – 3,600 meters) underground.

The ‘wet gas’ produced is piped some 80 kilometers to Dolphin’s onshore Gas Processing Plant in Qatar’s Ras Laffan. This is the largest single build gas plant in the world and makes up the core element in the company’s operations.

Here Dolphin strips out valuable commercial products (particularly condensate, LPGs, ethane and sulfur), with the result that ‘lean’ processed natural gas is then ready for transport by pipeline to the UAE. Meanwhile, the gas liquids and sulfur by-products are delivered form Dolphin’s Gas Processing Plant to various storage facilities, prior to export on a regular basis from exclusive loading berths.

Midstream

The key Midstream element was the installation of the 48-inch subsea export pipeline from Qatar to Abu Dhabi, designed to transport up to 3.2 billion standard cubic feet per day, which was completed in August 2006.

Downstream

The main Downstream activity focuses on the distribution of natural gas throughout the UAE and into Oman and supplying it in a very efficient and safe manner to Dolphin’s customers.

Receiving and monitoring facilities are located at Taweelah in Abu Dhabi and distribution of the gas is made possible through the Eastern gas distribution system as well as the Al Ain to Fujairah and Taweelah to Fujairah pipelines.

Dolphin’s Customers

Dolphin has signed a significant long –term gas sales agreements with 3 customers: Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC), Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), and Oman Oil Company (OOC). Under these long term agreements the average daily contracted gas volumes are as follows:

Dolphin’s Customers Average Volume

ADWEC 929 MILLION SCF/DAY

DUSUP 730 MILLION SCF/DAY

OOC 200 MILLION SCF/DAY

TOTAL: 1.859 MILLION SCF/DAY

The difference between this average total and the maximum throughput of 2 billion scf/day, allows Dolphin to offer flexibility for peak requirements of customers.

Short-term, interruptible, gas sales agreements are also currently in place with the Federal Electricity & Water Authority, Ras Al Khaimah Natural Gas Commission and Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority.

References

http://www.dolphinenergy.com/Files/downloads/DE_BROCH_ENG.pdf

External links

• Corporate website