The National: Dolphin Energy to expand as UAE gas demand surges

Dolphin Energy is set to expand significantly early next year as demand for natural gas continues to surge in the UAE.

“Energy requirements are on the rise to sustain the country’s economic development and additional volumes are needed,” said Ibrahim Ahmed Al Ansari, the chief executive of Dolphin Energy.

Yesterday, Dolphin said it had touched the production milestone of 5 trillion standard cubic feet (scf) since operations began in 2007.

Mr Ansari said that to meet surging summer demand, the company recently had soaked up diverted liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from Qatar, taking up to 300 million scf/day between June and September.

He would not discuss commercial terms, but LNG prices in the key Asian market have been weak for much of the year because of slower than expected economic growth, especially in China.

Dolphin Energy, which is 51 per cent owned by Abu Dhabi via Mubadala Development, with Total and Occidental each owning the rest equally, was the first in the region to link energy facilities across national borders, bringing natural gas from Qatari offshore fields via undersea pipeline from the Ras Laffan processing plant to receiving facilities at Taweelah, where it can then can be shipped on to Fujairah and Oman via overland pipeline. MORE