Dolphin’s export gas compressor upgrade project commissioning in early 2015

By Pratap John/Chief Business Reporter

A major upgrade of Dolphin Energy’s export gas compressor at Ras Laffan will enable capacity increase to 3.2bn standard cubic feet a day (scf/d) from the current average rate of 2bn scf/d.

The commissioning of the export gas compressor upgrade project is planned for the first quarter of 2015, Dolphin Energy said in its ‘Sustainability Report 2012’.

Dolphin Energy gas produced in Qatar arrives at the company’s Taweelah receiving facilities in Abu Dhabi.

“The upgrade project will increase overall reliability and availability of the plant and enhance the transmission capacity of the plant by allowing full utilisation of the export pipeline to the UAE,” it said.

The Ras Laffan facility receives natural gas from offshore extraction facilities and processes it for exporting via the subsea export pipeline to the UAE and Oman.

The Export Gas Compressors (EGC) facilities consist of some six Rolls Royce compressors able to process up to 2.2bn standard cubic feet a day.

The new project will add three similar new compressors, each rated at 52 megawatts, increasing export gas transmission capacity to 3.2bn scf/d.

In November 2012, a $250mn engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the project was awarded to Larsen & Toubro, India’s largest construction company.

“To ensure complete worker safety and protection of the surrounding environment, the project team will ensure that best industry practices are followed during implementation of the project.

“The success of the project is essential to the continued development of Dolphin Energy’s operations. The project represents the company’s emphasis on investing in success, and consequently on providing value to local economies,” Dolphin Energy said. Dolphin Energy’s major strategic initiative, the Dolphin Project, involves the production and processing of natural gas from Qatar’s North Field, and transportation of the dry gas by sub-sea export pipeline from Qatar to the UAE, which began in July 2007.

The long term customers for Dolphin gas from Qatar are Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC), Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP) and Oman Oil Company (OOC).

Each has signed a gas supply agreement with Dolphin Energy for 25 years.

Dolphin Energy is owned 51% by Mubadala Development Company, on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi — and 24.5% each by Total and Occidental Petroleum, both global energy majors.

Company releases 4th sustainability report

Dolphin Energy yesterday released details of its fourth sustainability report, ‘All it takes is positive energy’.

And once again, the report has been classified ‘A/GRI checked’ by the Global Reporting Initiative, indicating high levels of transparency and disclosure, the fourth year in a row that the report has been graded in this manner.

Commenting on the company’s performance, Dolphin Energy CEO, Ahmed Ali al- Sayegh, said: “Last year proved to be an exceptional 12 months for our sustainability performance with many milestones passed and commitments and achievements registered. In 2012, we continued to deliver gas safely and reliably to our customers in the UAE and Oman and have made many enhancements to our economic and societal commitments.”

Notable achievements for the year included receiving overwhelming investor response to the issuance of $1.3bn on 10-year bonds; awarding $386mn worth of contractors to support the upgrade to the Ras Laffan gas processing plant and achieving the 2012 target of 730bn standard cubic feet in net gas sales to the UAE.

In addition, Dolphin Energy saw further reductions in the Total Recordable Incident Rate — of 0.29 for employees and 0.38 for contractors against a target of 1.5 — and in its greenhouse gas and flaring emissions, 4.8% and 8.5%, respectively.

Community investment contributions crossed the $6mn mark, while the company’s Green IT Initiative saved 421MWh of energy consumption.

The collection and processing of all recyclable waste increased by 87% to reach just under 104,000 kilograms.

In Qatar, other highlights from the year include:

- Installed infrared cameras on the Ras Laffan flare system in order to facilitate reduction in routine flaring

- Completed the second year of the Fugitive Emissions Monitoring Campaign for the Ras Laffan plant

- Turned over the operatorship of the Low Sulfur Condensate Facilities to Ras Laffan Terminal Operations successfully

- Commissioned the tie in to the Common Sulfur Project in Ras Laffan

- Increased the Qatarisation level to 32%

In addition, the company accepted several awards in 2012 including the ‘Qatarisation Certificate’ in ‘Training and Development’ and an award for “Excellence in sustainability reporting”.

Both were given by HE the Minister of Energy and Industry, Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada.

Dolphin Energy also received the bronze award in the Joint Venture Category at the Qatar Oil & Gas Industry Safety Excellence and Innovation Awards.

 “The collective efforts of our stakeholders and partners has helped drive our commitment to sustainability and where required seen improvements in our performance,” said Adel Ahmed Albuainain, Dolphin Energy Qatar general manager. “We are intent on endorsing the strategy that supports the Qatar National Vision 2030 so that we help to achieve a prosperous, sustainable future,” Albuainain added.