Yemen LNG has confirmed the sabotage of the 38 inch gas pipeline that links the block 18 to the Balhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden.
The sabotage occurred at 00.35 hrs on 16th December, 2012 at 173 km north of Balhaf.
As the country’s largest-ever industrial investment (budgeted around US$ 4.5 billion), the decision to launch the Yemen LNG project in August 2005 was an important milestone for both the Government of Yemen and the Yemen LNG shareholders, but safe and continuous operation has evaded the operators over the past year.
The proven gas reserves are sufficient to produce and export 6.7 million metric tonnes of LNG per annum (mmtpa) for at least the next 20 years to its long-term customers in the North American and South Korean markets and potentially also to new customers in the future.
The reserves within the Marib area which are currently dedicated to the project include 9.15 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proven reserves with 1TCF allocated for use in the domestic market, and an additional 0.7 TCF of probable reserves. The domestic gas will be transported through a spur line to Ma’abar which is centrally located in a mountainous region of the country.
Yemen LNG is providing an opportunity for Yemeni citizens to develop a range of specialised skills in engineering and business disciplines enhancing opportunities for local investors to expand and compete at an international level.
The Yemen LNG chain comprises new and existing upstream gas processing facilities including a 25 km, 20-inch transfer line linking the two gas processing units in the gas fields of block 18 in Marib; a 320km, 38-inch new main pipeline, which is connecting the gas processing facilities to the new liquefaction facilities in Balhaf, and a spur line to transport domestic gas to the Ma’bar area in central Yemen.
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