| ....2000 08 16: Wednesday |
:
ADNOC MAKES GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN LAST FIVE YEARS
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, during the last five years of its operations has expanded its activities and enhanced its competitive position to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Achievement Report issued by the Company said. According to the report, the Company has used most modern seismic analysis in its explorations to increase its proven reserves and oil production capacity has been expanded. It also highlighted ADNOC's efforts in assessing undiscovered reserves and optimising hydrocarbon recovered by improving the reservoir management, and practising environmental control. Two exploratory and 12 appraisal/delineation wells were drilled from 1995 to 1999 in the concession areas of ADNOC and ADMA-OPCO, making the total exploration and appraisal/delineation footage drilling during the period to reach 167,265 feet, the report carried by the ADNOC NEWS magazine said. Out of this 23,161 feet were for two exploratory wells (one for ADNOC and the other for ADCO) and the remaining 144,104 feet was exclusively for 12 appraisal/delineation wells (six for ADCO, five for ADMA-OPCO and one for ADNOC). During the period the drilling activities of the Company continued at a peak level both in onshore and offshore areas reaching a total footage of 4.7 million feet, concentrating mainly on the drilling of development wells in major oil and gas producing fields. Of this 2.7 million feet were drilled onshore and the remaining in offshore areas. In oil production, the report noted, significant progress was made at Jebel Dhanna industrial area, which include the upgrading of the pipeline system, refurbishment of the existing gravity lines and installation of a new gravity line and metering bank during 1996. Oil refining operations have grown steadily to keep pace with the fast development of the UAE with significant improvement in both technical and human endeavour fields. Two units with a capacity of 280,000 bpsd to process ADNOC'S condensate at Ruwais will expand the refining capacity to a half million barrels per day, making the Company one of the region's biggest refining operator, the report added. In gas processing, the Company implemented plans to increase the production of associated and non-associated gas from the main fields. The gas injection programmes for the pressure maintenance of oil and gas condensate reservoirs are ongoing, and gas supplies to the NGL plants in Asab, Bab, Bu-Hasa, Habshan and Das Island were expanded during the period, it said. The onshore Gas Development Plant in Habshan (OGD-I) has increased the gas processing capacity to two bscfd, producing approximately 4,200 bpd of NGL and nearly 100,000 bpd of condensate. With the completion of OGD-II which is in progress, the total capacity will reach three bscfd. In petrochemical sector, the Chemical Directorate was formed to implement the Company's diversification plan and expansion plan of fertilizer complex in Ruwais is under consideration. According to the report, the most significant move in its diversification plan was the formation of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company Ltd., (Borouge). The Ruwais-based joint venture company is owned 60 per cent by ADNOC and 40 per cent by Borealis. The project includes a 600,000 tpa ethane cracker and a 450,000 tpa polyethylene plant capable of swing production of bimodal LLDPE and HDPE. The 1.2 billion dollars world class petrochemical complex is scheduled for commissioning by late 2001. Recent investment to expand the production of ADNOC's onshore gas will also increase the supply and sales of condensate. The volume of product sales will be double when the two condensate splitters come on stream in 2000, the report said. The Company also introduced many programmes to train and development UAE nationals thus encouraging them to take jobs in oil and gas industries. On environmental front, the Company during the last five years made many measures such as minimising air emissions, treating oil water, disposing effluent water through disposal wells and reduction of waste disposal to the sea, in addition to schemes to minimise gas flaring and effluent water disposal by injection. Oil flaring while testing on drilling rigs was reduced by 70 per cent by injecting it in the well's streams. The Company also introduced the Health, Safety and Environment Award in 1997, to be presented to companies, teams and individuals who display outstanding ability and dedication in health, safety and environment. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
:
UAE-MADE CIVIL DEFENCE EQUIPMENT MAKE THEIR MARK
The equipment manufacturing industry of the Civil Defence in the UAE has progressed significantly, with the total number of locally made light vehicles having now risen to 34 since the establishment of the technical workshop in the late 1970s. According to Brigadier Ali Fahad Shihail, Director General of Civil Defence the vehicles which have been produced by the technical workshop are currently used for quick dispatch to the scene of accident to control fire from spreading to the vicinity until the arrival of the heavy fire extinguishing equipment. These vehicles are equipped with sliding doors, a 300-gallon water tanker, water sucking pump and an automatic lighting system used during night time operations. Another feature of these vehicles is that they are supplied with modern fire fighting and rescue system, including iron cutters, respiratory aids and first aid equipment to attend to victims of accidents. Shihail added that apart from vehicles, the workshop has been able to manufacture other rescue equipment as per international standards. These are used in the management of big disaster operations. They include a vehicular operation theatre and other medical equipment. The vehicles carry video, communication and lighting equipment. In the future, the vehicles will be supplied with cameras, fax machines and other systems. A number of water tankers, with water pumps have also been manufactured in the workshop, said Shihail. He pointed out that because the nature of the civil defence forces also involves humanitarian work, a mobile clinic has been designed in the workshop and equipped with modern facilities to meet the needs of the victims in disaster situations. Sports equipment are also made in the workshop to meet the training needs of civil defence cadres. He said the idea of manufacturing civil defence equipment was mooted when the department was founded in 1977. At the time there was heavy reliance on imported materials, which were often expensive. With the expansion of the civil defence centres in the country, there arose an increasing need for more materials so as to deal with fire accidents, which increased as a result of the expansion in infrastructure projects. The cost of equipment and the need to boost efficiency made it imperative to depend on local products in the civil defence work. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
:
SEWA'S POWER GENERATION COSTS UP IN 1999
Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, SEWA, spent 6.19 fills to produce each kilowatt hour of power it generated in 1999, as against 6.09 fills in 1998, and 6.11 fills in 1997. The authority ascribed the slightly higher cost of power generation to the 10.3 per cent rise in the value of fuels consumed in producing the electricity. Fuels employed included natural gas, heavy fuel oil and light fuel oil, with the last two years seeing SEWA increasing the gas component in power generation, while drastically scaling down the shares of heavy and light fuel oils. Data issued by SEWA in its annual statistical book also showed electricity generated last year increased 8.4 per cent to 4,445.79 million kWh, atop a sharp 18.88 per cent jump in 1998 to 4,101.4 million kWh. The power sent out from Sewerís stations to the transmission and distribution network rose 4.99 per cent OT 3,982.14 million kWh last year, after surging 20.04 per cent to 3,792.85 million kWh in 1998. Power consumed as monitored through meter readings which excludes park and street lighting, and other facilities provided with free electricity, increased 5.96 per cent to 3,458.93 million kWh in 1999, atop a 21.88 per cent spurt to 3,264,33 million kWh the previous year. The report showed the commercial sector accounting for the lionís share, with 41.01 per cent of total consumption, with non-locals accounting for 22.19 per cent, locals 10.23 per cent, the government sector 6.9 per cent and ministries 6.36 per cent. In order to constantly increase its generation capacity to keep ahead of demand, the authority is currently undertaking a massive power and water desalination project at Wasit. Construction of the new plant, capacity 260MW is estimated to cost Dh1.29 billion. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
The UAE under 19 boys defeated Yemen by the odd goal in three to keep their hopes alive in the Asian Under-19 Championship qualifying Group III match being played at Taif in Saudi Arabia. According to information, the UAE boys dominated the game throughout. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
:
UAE BASKETBALL TEAM BAG THIRD PLACE
The UAE National Basketball Team secured third place in the inaugural annual Pan Arab schools basketball tournament. The UAE team defeated Egypt 69-66 for the third place. The team consists of 14 of the best basketball players from schools in the UAE. The team had been training for this tournament at the Al Wasl Sports Club in Dubai, under coach Salim Atif and his assistant Abed Muftah who also accompanied the team to Lebanon. The inaugural Pan Arab Schools basketball event saw very good representation from the schools. The event was conducted from August 2-13. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
:
EXPLORER MAJID WILL BE 'MASTER OF CEREMONIES' FOR GLOBAL WEEK
AN exciting opening ceremony is on the cards for the Global Surprises on Aug. 17 at the Centre Court of the Deira City Centre. "The opening ceremony, which will be held at 7.30 pm at the Deira City Centre, will be unique in both content and design and closely follows the theme of the Global Surprises week which is 'Global Musicians and Artists'," said Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, assistant managing director, Dubai Ports Authority. The opening ceremony is expected to offer glimpses of the diverse and entertaining events that DPA has lined up for the week-long extravaganza. The Master of Ceremonies for the show will be UAE's renowned explorer Ahmed Bin Majid, who has earned the sobriquet 'The Lion of the Seas'. Majid had explored and mapped the coasts of the Indian Ocean from as far as East Africa and the Indian subcontinent to Java and Indonesia. He had invented and developed many Arabian navigational instruments and techniques, all of which will be displayed at the opening show. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
Department External Information Ministry of Information and Culture P.O. Box 17, Abu Dhabi E-Mail: mininfex@emirates.net.ae Tel: 009712-4452922 Fax: >009712-4450458
PLEASE NOTE: The items covered in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the official view of the UAE Government. Rather, they form a UAE-related digest of reports from the local press and publication