State-owned Sharjah National Oil Company and Italian firm Eni have begun development of the Mahani gas field, which was found to have significant gas deposits last year.
The Italian firm will drill for gas from the Mahani-1 gas well.
The gas field was the first to be discovered in Sharjah in nearly 37 years.
The partners have now completed the laying of a 23,000 metre pipeline in the desert and connected it to existing infrastructure to produce and transport gas to the nearby Sajaa gas processing plant.
"The commencement of the first gas production from Mahani, less than a year after discovery, is a tremendous achievement for Sharjah, meeting our commitment to contribute to the efforts of making reliable gas supplies widely available for the local energy needs of Sharjah and the UAE," Snoc president Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said in a statement to Wam.
The well has been drilled to a total measured depth of 14,597 feet and has tested gas flow rates of up to 50 million cubic feet per day, alongside some condensate from the adjacent Thamama formation.
The developers plan to drill further to assess the full extent of the structures.
Snoc, which operates area B of the formation, holds a 50 per cent stake in the concession, with Eni holding the remaining stake
The discovery is critical as it could help Sharjah meet its growing power needs. Home to more than 1.4 million people, the emirate is actively looking at various options to diversify its power mix to meet the rising demand of a growing population.
The extraction of new reserves will support Sharjah's plans to reach self-sufficiency in power generation by the end of 2021. The emirate's utility has been looking to boost its power capacity as well as privatising parts of its business.
The potential of the domestic supply of gas will eliminate the need for more expensive options to support the power grid. Snoc previously planned to support Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority by deploying a floating storage and regasification unit moored offshore at the Hamriya Port. However, the plans are now on the back burner following the successful award of three concessions to Eni.
Unlocking domestic gas reserves will also help the emirate diversify its supply and lower its import bill. Sharjah imports gas via the Dolphin Gas Pipeline from the North Dome field in Qatar. Snoc has plans to launch more licensing rounds following the success of its recently concluded tender.
Natural gas prices were up 4.02 per cent to $2.65 per million British thermal units at 6.09pm on Monday as energy prices rose ahead of the conclusion of the first Opec meeting of the year in Vienna, at which leaders were expected to leave output curbs unchanged.
Brent crude, the global benchmark for two-thirds of the world's oil, rose 1 per cent to $52.32 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate traded 0.56 higher at $48.79.
Members of the Opec+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia reached a historic agreement to cut back output by 9.7 million barrels per day in April last year to counter a record drop in crude demand due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions.
Cuts have since been gradually scaled back as energy demand has strengthened, with production increasing by a further 500,000 barrels per day this month.
“Amid the hopeful signs, the outlook for the first half of 2021 is very mixed and there are still many downside risks to juggle,” Opec secretary general, Mohammad Barkindo, said in a statement late on Sunday during the two-day meeting.
He expects crude oil demand to shift from “reverse to forward gear and rise to 95.9m bpd this year, a gain of 5.9m bpd from 2020”.
“The non-OECD [countries] will be in the driver’s seat with growth of around 3.3m bpd.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
