Wintershall Joins UAE Ghasha Concession
Germany’s Wintershall has taken a 10% stake in the multi-billion-dollar Ghasha ultra-sour gas mega concession offshore Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It joins Eni with 25% and state Adnoc which holds the remaining 65% in the concession, which lasts for 4o years and consists of the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma and other fields.
Adnoc said November 26 that its agreement marks the first time a German firm has been awarded a stake in an Abu Dhabi concession area and underscores Adnoc’s aim to diversify its strategic partnership base.
Wintershall has been operator of the Shuwaihat sour gas project in Abu Dhabi since 2012, partnering Adnoc and OMV there, but as yet that is an exploration and appraisal project only,which is yet to start producing. As such, the German firm said that the Ghasha agreement "marks the first time in Wintershall’s history that it is to produce gas and condensate in Abu Dhabi". Adnoc noted that Wintershall has produced 30bn m3 of sour gas in Germany over the past 40 years.
The Ghasha project is expected to produce more than 1.5bn ft³/day (40mn m3/d) of gas around the middle of the next decade, as well as over 120,000 barrels of oil and high value condensate.
Wintershall CEO Mario Mehren (left) and Adnoc CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (right above) signed the concession agreement in Abu Dhabi (Photo credit: Adnoc)
Below: a map of the Ghasha concession (courtesy: Adnoc)
Wintershall CEO Mario Mehren (left)