Dolphin eyes gas export increase

The UAE's Dolphin Energy hopes to increase its gas exports to existing clients in the long term but does not have the supplies to add new clients, its general manager said in comments published yesterday.

Adel Albuainain told Qatar's Al Watan newspaper that increasing exports would require a new agreement with Qatar. The $4.8 billion (Dh17.6bn) Dolphin project linking Qatar's giant North Field with the UAE and Oman was the first cross-border gas project in the Gulf Arab region. It pumps around two billion cubic feet per day to UAE.

Albuainain said Dolphin had started supplying gas to Oman on October 31, in line with a 25-year contract signed in 2005 to pump 200 million cubic feet a day, after a delay caused by technical problems with gas compression on the Omani side of the project.

Dolphin had not been affected by the global crisis because it has 25-year contracts with Qatar and its clients, he said. Mubadala Development Company owns 51 per cent of Dolphin while France's Total and US Occidental each have a 24.5 per cent stake.

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