Plans to extend the capacity of the Al Hosn Shah gas plant have moved a step closer with the award of a front end engineering design (Feed) services contract to UK-based Amec Foster Wheeler.
The Feed contract will allow Al Hosn Gas, part of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, to optimise designs for the extended plant with a view to minimising technical, schedule and cost risks.
The proposed expansion will increase gas processing capacity at the plant from 1 billion cubic feet per day to 1.5 billion cubic feet.
It is expected that work on completing the engineering designs will complete by the end of next year. Once that is finished, Adnoc will decide on the business case for making the investment.
This would still give time for the plant to become operational under the latest five-year business plan, which was approved by Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council as part of Adnoc’s 2030 strategy in early November.
The strategy includes a commitment to boost oil production by 400,000 barrels of oil per day by 2018 to 3.5 million barrels, and to increase petrochemicals production from 4.5 million tonnes per annum this year to 11.4 million tonnes by 2025.
Part of this involves using sulphur produced at the Al Hosn Gas plant to produce fertilisers.
Mansoor Al Mehairbi, the chief executive of Al Hosn Gas, said: "The expansion project is an important part of Adnoc's integrated Gas Master Plan, which seeks to increase natural gas supplies to support various industries nationwide.
“By adding 50 per cent processing capacity, the expansion will help ensure Abu Dhabi’s steadily rising demand for gas is met, in a sustainable and economic manner.”
mfahy@thenational.ae
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