Jordan Mulls LNG Imports by 2014

Jordan plans to begin importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2014 in a bid to alleviate the country’s ongoing energy woes.

Kingdoms’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Alaa Batayneh has said that it is planning to build a liquefied gas terminal at the Red Sea Port of Aqaba by 2014, with a tender for the multimillion-dollar project to be floated this fall.

The move was prompted by continued disruptions to Egyptian gas supplies due to series of acts of sabotage. Egyptian gas supplies currently stand at less than 10 per cent of their 300 million cubic foot capacity.

Media reports suggest that the first preference was an expedited expansion of the Risheh natural gas fields in the northeastern desert, view as a more reliable and less costly alternative to a transition to liquefied gas. However, British Petroleum would be unable to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Although Jordan has yet to reach a deal with an LNG provider, Qatar has emerged as a leading candidate. The two parties are yet to decide on a price.