Arab natural gas production line is a crucial potential of exports
Egypt has a vast infrastructure estimated at 2bn cubic feet
By Moharram Fouad
Does Egypt have potentials to be a global trade centre for natural gas either by exporting it through pipes or a liquid form?
The answer is yes and there is no doubt about it. Egypt has an infrastructure that enables it to be a global trade centre of liquid natural gas; its gas production and reserve are quite huge but its consumption is of the highest rate among other countries.
What are the mechanisms of natural gas production?
Natural gas needs internal pipes in order to be produced.
What are the mechanisms of exporting?
There are two mechanisms, one that goes through gas lines and these lines are linked to other countries. The second mechanism is exporting natural gas in its liquid form.
What do you think about Egypt’s potentials of exporting natural gas?
Egypt has a vast infrastructure, i.e. estimated at 2bn cubic feet, which enables it to export gas; this infrastructure is represented in 2 gas production lines in Idku and Damietta governorates.
How could we make best use of this production capacity?
There are a number of countries in the region that have discovered gas resources, especially in the east side of Mediterranean Sea. These countries have announced their discoveries 7 years ago but until now we cannot develop these discoveries.
Why these discoveries have not been made use of?
Natural gas is not storable as I mentioned; in addition to these countries’ incapability of benefiting from neither internal consumption nor exports. As a consequent, Egypt is the only country which has the key solution to all these incapable countries.
What is the purpose of suggesting Egypt as a global trade centre of natural gas?
In fact, this suggestion aims at varying the capacity of internal gas consumption as gas is not storable. As we know the gas consumption rate is high due to the large population of Egypt, i.e. 91 million citizens, which grows at 2.5 per cent yearly. In addition, the government has plans for making the best use of energy as Egypt has an infrastructure, enabling it to export gas.
What are Egypt’s potentials of exporting natural gas?
There are many potentials in this regard; one that is highly important is the Arab gas line, extended till Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Another natural gas lines I have mentioned before are extended in Idku and Damietta.
What is the importance of natural gas to the Egyptian economy?
Natural gas is one of the crucial primary resources, especially after “Zohr” gas field discovery.
Are we expecting any other discoveries in the natural gas field?
Clearly, there are many serious studies and geological and geophysical researches going in many areas in the east side of Mediterranean Sea, Nile Delta and West Deseret. We hope that these studies enhance natural gas fields’ discovery.
Is it possible to discuss some details about natural gas networks in Egypt?
Egypt has an excellent natural gas network, for instance, there is a main network specialized for high pressure production lines; it covers alone from 7500 to 8000km, while the whole network covers, i.e. includes all pressure sorts, more than 30000km.
How can we bridge the gap between local consumption and production?
The more we increase production, the fewer gaps we get. To be honest, there is a difference between hope and action. We hope for great results coming out of mentioned discoveries and as for the actions, we are conducting researches and studies aiming at bridging the gap between production and consumption.
Is the current gap being handled as it should be?
Energy gap is being taken care of through imports which are paid for with dollars; obviously, this incurs the country’s Public Fund and monetary reserve of the central bank. Thus, production capacity increase leads to bridging the gap between consumption and production.
