The average natural gas consumption for Jordan’s industries amounted to 24 million cubic feet (CF) per day during 2021, according to data released by Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The data noted gas production from Risha Field, eastern Jordan, reached about 6,510 million cubic feet during 2021 at a daily rate of 17.8 million cubic feet, marking an increase of 22 percent, compared to 2020.
The ministry indicated that the production capacity of Risha Field has been raised to about 32 million cubic feet per day, as Risha Wells 53, 51, 50 entered production in 2021.
The ministry is working to supply natural gas to Jordan’s electricity generation plants from quantities imported from Egypt, US Chevron Corporation, and Aqaba’s Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal – LNG (The Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Terminal), in addition to gas produced from Risha Field.
According to the ministry’s report published on its website, Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), in cooperation with the ministry and the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), is working to develop The Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Terminal.
The plans are by building an onshore unit with a 400 million cubic feet capacity per day and carrying out a project to replace the current floating storage regasification unit (FSRU).
To stimulate natural gas consumption in all sectors, the ministry said a project to supply natural gas to Aqaba industrial complex, affiliated to Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), was launched in 2021.
The project came within the framework of the agreement signed by JPMC with the Jordanian Egyptian Fajr for Natural Gas Transmission and Supply to provide Aqaba industrial complex with about 4 million cubic feet per day.
The ministry also referred to a Cabinet decision to approve natural gas pricing produced from Risha Field for private sector’s consumers to create a stimulating investment environment.
This would attract investors to build projects based on Risha gas supplies, whether in the Kingdom’s eastern regions, or in other areas that could benefit from compressed or liquefied gas quantities.
With regard to the strategic stockpile of Jordan’s oil derivatives, the ministry worked to increase the storage capacities of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Madounah facilities by about 6,000 tons, as the project was completed during the last quarter of 2021.