Category: Oil News

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Genel Energy Rise on Trading Update

Shares in Genel Energy rose by nearly 5 percent on Tuesday morning after the company issued the following trading and operations update in advance of the Company’s full-year 2021 results, which are scheduled for release on 15 March 2022. The information contained herein has not been audited and may be subject to further review.

Bill Higgs, Chief Executive of Genel, said:

“In 2021 we generated significant free cash flow of $86 million, and in 2022 we are set to build on this as the strength of the oil price and our positive outlook means that free cash flow is expected to more than double. Our focus in 2022 is on growing the business and supporting our progressive dividend long-term.

“We aim to increase cash flow through the progression of our asset development plans and the addition of income streams. Our priority is the derisking and commercialisation of Sarta, while the successful farm-out on our Somaliland licence opens the way to drill an exploration well on this exciting opportunity.“

2022 OUTLOOK AND GUIDANCE

  • Production in 2022 is expected to be around the same level as 2021
  • Genel expects to generate free cash flow of up to $200 million in 2022, pre dividend payments, at a Brent oil price of $75/bbl
    • An increase or decrease in Brent of $10/bbl impacts annual cash by $50 million
    • Under the terms of the Receivable Settlement Agreement signed in August 2017, the last override payment will be made relating to Tawke PSC production in July 2022. Given payments are received three months in arrears from the Kurdistan Regional Government (‘KRG’), 10 override payments are expected in 2022
    • 2022 capital expenditure is expected to be between $140 million and $180 million, with key asset spending including:
      • c.$75 million expenditure forecast at the Tawke PSC, an increase of c.$25 million compared to 2021 as drilling increases at the Tawke field
      • c.$45-80 million expenditure forecast at Sarta, with higher spend the result of appraisal success
      • c.$10-20 million expenditure forecast at Taq Taq
      • Work is underway on planning a well in Somaliland, with expenditure in 2022 expected to be under $5 million
    • Operating costs expected to be c.$50 million (2021: $44 million), equating to under $5/bbl, retaining our advantageous low operating cost position
  • Following the termination of the Bina Bawi and Miran PSCs by Genel on 10 December 2021, Genel will be claiming substantial compensation from the KRG. Genel’s claims will be brought in a private London seated international arbitration
  • Genel remains committed to paying a material and progressive dividend, as we look to offer a compelling mix of value-accretive growth and shareholder returns
  • Genel continues to invest in the host communities in which we operate. 2022 represents twenty years of operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which we will commemorate through the Genel20 programme, launching significant new social activities throughout the year, aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals

2021 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

  • $281 million of cash proceeds were received from the KRG in 2021 (2020: $173 million)
  • Capital expenditure of $165 million (2020: $109 million), with c.$45 million spent at the Tawke PSC and c.$110 million at Sarta and Qara Dagh
  • Free cash flow of $86 million in 2021, pre dividend payments (2020: $5 million free cash outflow), comparison impacted by:
    • Higher oil price of $71/bbl in 2021, compared to $42/bbl in 2020
    • 10 entitlement payments received in 2021, compared to 12 in 2020, following industry-wide reversion to payments three months in arrears by the KRG
    • Receivable recovery payments of $35 million received in 2021, with the resumption of Tawke override payments contributing a further $72 million ($23 million in override payments received in 2020)
  • Dividends paid in 2021 of 16¢ per share (2020: 15¢ per share), a total distribution of c.$45 million
  • Cash of $314 million at 31 December 2021, net cash of $44 million ($10 million at 31 December 2020)

2021 OPERATING PERFORMANCE

  • Genel strives for safe operations with zero lost time injuries (‘LTI’) and zero tier one loss of primary containment events at Genel and TTOPCO operations. One LTI was reported in 2021 at Sarta-5 drilling operations and all corrective actions have been implemented
    • 1.2 million work hours subsequently completed across our operations without an LTI
  • Net production averaged 31,710 bopd in 2021, with net production in Q4 averaging 30,843 bopd
    • Production cost of c.$4/bbl, with margin per barrel of $24/bbl
  • Production by field was as follows:
(bopd) Gross production

2021

 Net production

2021

 Net production

2020
Tawke 108,710 27,180 27,570
Taq Taq 5,940 2,610 4,250
Sarta 6,400 1,920 160
Total 121,060 31,710 31,980
  • Genel expects our confirmed 2021 carbon intensity to be c.15 kgCO2e/bbl for scope 1 and 2 emissions, significantly below the global oil and gas industry average of 20 kgCO2e/boe
    • Expected carbon intensity in 2021 has increased from 13kg CO2e/bbl in 2020 due to full year production at Sarta where associated gas is currently being flared. The gas management project to cease routine flaring is underway

PRODUCTION ASSETS

  • Tawke PSC (25% working interest)
    • Gross production at the Tawke PSC averaged 108,710 bopd in 2021 (110,280 bopd in 2020)
    • Drilling activity is set to ramp up in 2022
  • Sarta (30% working interest and operator)
    • The results of early production from the Sarta pilot continue to help shape the view of full field development
    • Gross production averaged 6,400 bopd in 2021, with just over 2.5 million barrels having been produced from start up in late November 2020 to year end 2021
    • Drilling and completion operations at Sarta-1D concluded in November 2021, the Viking I-21 Rig was subsequently mobilised to Sarta-4 to workover the legacy exploration well for use as a produced water disposal well
    • Rigless well testing at Sarta-1D is now underway, with results expected early this quarter. This will allow for the performance of the thicker and more volumetrically significant Adaiyah reservoir to be fully evaluated. Oil produced from Sarta-1D will be delivered to the early production facility via a short c.2 km flowline that was installed in Q4 2021 removing any lag time between well testing results and monetisation of the resource
    • The Sarta-5 and Sarta-6 step out wells are designed to appraise the field away from the pilot production facility and will be key in resolving the current uncertainty over the size and shape of the Sarta field
    • Drilling and completion operations concluded at Sarta-5 at the end of 2021, and the Parker 265 Rig is currently mobilising to the Sarta 6 location with spud expected in the coming weeks
    • Rigless well-testing operations will be conducted at Sarta-5 in Q1 2022
    • As of 1 January 2022, Genel became PSC operator of Sarta in line with the agreement with Chevron
    • Genel has embarked on a renewable energy appraisal programme at Sarta, with the initial phase of this study assessing wind, solar and hydro options to power the early production facility. The study began in Q3 2021 and will be completed in 2022, as Genel aims to reduce GHG emissions from our facilities
  • Taq Taq PSC (44% working interest and joint operator)
    • Gross production at Taq Taq averaged 5,940 bopd in 2021, following the ongoing suspension of drilling activity
    • Activity at Taq Taq continues to be focused on optimising cash flow, and drilling may resume in H2 2022

PRE-PRODUCTION ASSETS

  • Qara Dagh (40% working interest and operator)
    • As announced on 4 January, drilling operations on the QD-2 well have been suspended and the well temporarily abandoned
    • The evaluation by licence partners Genel and Chevron of the QD-2 well and its results is now underway, and this will inform next steps on the licence
  • Somaliland (51% working interest and operator)
    • Following the signing of a farm-out agreement with OPIC Somaliland Corporation relating to the SL10B13 block, field partners are now working together to plan exploration drilling, with an aim of drilling a well in 2023
  • Morocco (75% working interest and operator)
    • A farm-out campaign continues to be planned relating to the Lagzira block offshore Morocco (75% working interest and operator), with the aim of bringing a partner onto the licence prior to considering further commitments

(Source: Genel Energy)

The post Genel Energy Rise on Trading Update first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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Siemens working with Iraq on Hydrogen Production

By John Lee.

As part of its efforts to switch to clean and renewable energy, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has said it is working with Siemens to produce hydrogen.

The German company will provide advanced technologies and equipment for the project, and set up workshops to support the initiative.

The first of these workshops was held on Monday.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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CNOOC to Explore Offshore in Iraq

By John Lee.

The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) is to press ahead with oil exploration at a 530-km2 offshore block in Basra.

Originally agreed in 2019, the work had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In parallel, Iraq’s state-owned Oil Exploration Company (OEC) will carry out seismic surveys on the adjoining 120-km2 onshore area.

Following these studies, one exploratory well will be drilled onshore and one offshore.

The announcement was made following a workshop (pictured) to study plans for the development of marine blocks, organized by the Oil Exploration Company in cooperation with CNOOC.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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Honeywell to Modernize Iraqi Refinery

By John Lee.

Honeywell has announced that the Lanaz refinery (pictured) in Erbil will use its technology to upgrade its operations so it can produce more cleaner-burning transportation fuels.

It says the project marks the first use of its UOP modular technology in Iraq, and will help Lanaz comply with increasingly strict specifications for fuel products.

The Lanaz Refinery was built in 2008, and processes about 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

(Source: Honeywell)

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China “the Only Winner” in this Huge Iraqi Oil Field

Writing in Oil Price, Simon Watkins that the recent approval of the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC)‘s acquisition of ExxonMobil‘s 32.7 percent stake in the West Qurna 1 oil field is likely to leave China delighted, the U.S. irritated, and Iraq’s oil industry still unable to achieve any of its key oil output goals.

Click here to read the full article.

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Dana Gas achieves 50% Gas Production Growth in 3 yrs

Dana Gas and its partner, Crescent Petroleum, have reported record sales gas production from their operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), reaching 452 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMscf/d) at the end of 2021.

The production milestone is the culmination of numerous process improvements at the Khor Mor gas plant, including a bypass project completed in 2020 as well as a de-bottlenecking programme earlier in 2018. Together, the process improvements have grown the production by 50% from 305 MMscf/d in 2018.

Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum jointly operate the Khor Mor and Chemchemal gas fields on behalf of the Pearl Petroleum consortium, supplying the gas which enables much needed electricity generation in the KRI, and also producing close to 16,000 barrels of condensate and 1,000 tonnes of LPG per day. The successful process improvements will be reinforced by the KM250 expansion project at the plant which is currently under implementation, and will increase total capacity by an additional 55% to 700 MMscf/d by April 2023.

Major works for the US$630 million KM250 expansion project resumed in April, 2021 after a delay of one year due to the COVID pandemic. The project is now on track for the new target start date of April 2023. As part of the expansion works, the Company is also preparing to drill up to five development wells, which are scheduled to commence production in March 2022.

The KM250 Gas Expansion Project is supported by a $250 million financing agreement for 7 years with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which was announced in September 2021. After completion of the KM250 project, the partners also plan a further KM500 train that would raise production to almost 1 billion cubic feet per day to meet rising demand for cleaner burning natural gas and electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region and all of Iraq.

Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum and Board Managing Director of Dana Gas, said:

“The achievement of this production milestone underscores the progress we continue to make at Khor Mor to meet the rapidly growing demand for natural gas in the KRI. Despite the challenges the whole world has faced over the past two years, we are proud to have continued delivering uninterrupted supply of clean-burning natural gas to support the KRI economy and enable a healthy recovery. Meanwhile our major expansion plans at the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields to target 1 billion cubic feet per day in the coming few years will enable improved services across the region for years to come.”

Dr Patrick Allman-Ward (pictured), CEO of Dana Gas, said:

“This milestone is testament to our people and their hard work making consistent production growth possible at our Khor Mor gas plant. Our continued investments since 2018, notably the Khor Mor de-bottlenecking and bypass projects, have allowed us to deliver reliable supplies of clean energy to support the KRI economy and its people, with enhanced economic and environmental benefits which will increase as we further grow production.”

Total investment by the Pearl Petroleum consortium exceeds US$2.3 billion to date, with total cumulative production of over 360 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of natural gas and liquids. The uninterrupted supply of gas to power plants in Erbil, Chemchemal and Bazian provides over 80% of the KRI’s power generation and has resulted in significant fuel cost savings through substitution of diesel representing both environmental and economic benefits for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.

The displacement of diesel fuel for power generation in the KRI with gas has also enabled emissions savings of 42 million tonnes of CO2, thereby making a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing local air pollution in the region as well as supporting the transition to better energy sources to tackle global climate change.

(Source: Dana Gas)

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CFO of Genel Energy to Step Down

Genel Energy announced on Tuesday that Esa Ikaheimonen (pictured), Chief Financial Officer, has advised the Board of his intention to leave the company on 16 March 2022, following the announcement of the Company’s 2021 financial results the day before.

In a statement, the company said that a search for a suitable replacement is ongoing and an announcement will be made in due course.

Bill Higgs, Chief Executive of Genel, said:

“Our financial results will be a testament to Esa’s time at Genel, as they will show a Company in a strong financial position, with a resilient and proven business model and the flexibility to utilise the balance sheet to grow the Company. On behalf of everyone at Genel I would like to wish Esa all the best in his future endeavours.”

Esa Ikaheimonen, Chief Financial Officer of Genel, said:

“Genel has strong leadership and finance teams, a robust financial position, and a lot to look forward to, and I wish the Company every success for the future.”

(Source: Genel Energy)

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Iraq to buy Exxon stake in West Qurna 1

By John Lee.

The Iraqi cabinet has agreed to allow the Basra Oil Company (BOC) to take over ExxonMobil‘s holding in the West Qurna 1 oilfield, at a price of up to $350 million.

Addressing media after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, Minister of Communications Arkan Al-Shaibani (pictured) said the cabinet also allocated an initial payment of $250 million “according to the acquisition amount to cover the Basra Oil Company’s share in the work program and the budget for the year 2022 according to new developments provided that ExxonMobil relinquishes its litigation against the Basra Oil Company at the International Court of Arbitration.“

Note that other media list the acquiring entity as the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC).

(Sources: Govt of Iraq, Reuters, S&P Global Platts)

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Genel Suspends Drilling Ops on QD-2 well at Qara Dagh

Genel Energy has announced that drilling operations on the QD-2 well at Qara Dagh (40% working interest and operator) have been suspended.

As previously stated, the well had been side-tracked in response to encountering more complex geology above the target reservoir than expected.

Two further side-tracks have been initiated, but the licence partners have now concluded that it is impractical to continue the drilling operations from this wellbore in an attempt to reach the primary objective because of insurmountable technical problems. The decision has therefore been taken to suspend QD-2, with the minimum work obligation satisfied.

Licence partners Genel and Chevron will conduct a thorough evaluation of the QD-2 well and its results in 2022 to inform next steps on the licence.

Bill Higgs, Chief Executive of Genel, said:

“This has been a very challenging operation, and the decision to suspend drilling at this stage is prudent. It is of course not the outcome that we wanted, but the geological case for Qara Dagh remains intact and attractive.

“We will work with Chevron to ascertain the best way forward on the licence. In the meantime we will continue working with the community on our social initiatives, as we retain our commitment to the region.“

(Source: Genel Energy)

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Jiyad: Iraq’s Oil Licensing Rounds, Ten Years On

By Ahmed Mousa Jiyad.

Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Iraq Oil Licenses Rounds – Views of the Architect and the Technocrat, Ten Years On

Petroleum licensing rounds, 2009-2010, are the most significant and impacting development that took place in post 2003 upstream petroleum and they manifest a grand opining for big push strategy.

These four bid rounds would make Iraq a game-changer with a total production plateau target of more than 12 million barrels daily (mbd) by 2017 from mostly supper giant and giant oilfields with a combined 68% of the country’s proven reserves.

Number of directly contracted international oil companies (IOCs) exceeds 15, belonging to 12 countries including the five permanent members of the UN Security council. The governing modality is a long term service contract, a uniquely hybrid type, with a duration of ca. 30 years each.

The issue, i.e., the licensing rounds, has been and still is divisive and those standing against the bid rounds personalize the debate and were persistent in their opposition to the extent that they managed to introduce legal obligations to revise them.

That concerted anti efforts succeeded in forcing the Ministry of Oil (MoO), in 2018, to premised its fifth bid round on “profit-sharing contracts, which is the monetary side of production-sharing contract; MoO was, obviously, ill-advised and badly too.

Click here to download the full report in pdf format.

Mr Jiyad is an independent development consultant, scholar and Associate with the former Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES), London. He was formerly a senior economist with the Iraq National Oil Company and Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, Chief Expert for the Council of Ministers, Director at the Ministry of Trade, and International Specialist with UN organizations in Uganda, Sudan and Jordan. He is now based in Norway (Email: mou-jiya(at)online.no, Skype ID: Ahmed Mousa Jiyad). Read more of Mr Jiyad’s biography here.

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