Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal

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Mina (Mena) Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal is an LNG terminal in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait.

Location

The Mina Al-Ahmadi GasPort is located approximately 20 miles south of Kuwait City.

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Project Details

• Operator: Golar LNG
• Owner: New Fortress Energy (100%; owner of Golar FSRU)
• Parent: New Fortress Energy
• Charterer: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (owner of terminal)
• Location: Al Ahmadi, Al Ahmadi, Kuwait
• Coordinates: 29.083333, 48.083333 (approximate)
• Capacity: 5.8 mtpa
• Status: Idle
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 2009

Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day

Background

Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal is an LNG terminal in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait. It has baseload throughput capacity of 500 MMcf/d with peak capacity of 600 MMcf/d, or about 3.8 mtpa. Commissioned in 2009, it is Kuwait’s first LNG import terminal.

US-based Excelerate Energy designed and constructed the Mina Al-Ahmadi GasPort, working with the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The facility was intended to be an interim solution to bridge the gap between Kuwait’s existing natural gas needs and the future development of domestic gas reserves.

The terminal initially received gas from Excelerate's Explorer vessel, but Kuwait National Petroleum Company signed a five-year contract in 2014 to receive floating storage and regasification services from Denmark-based Golar LNG. As of 2023, there is no vessel moored at the terminal.

Middle East and LNG imports

Kuwait is not the only country rich with ample gas reserves in the Middle East to also import gas. Others include Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal in Dubai in 2010, Hadera LNG Terminal in Israel in 2013, Jordan through Aqaba Jordan LNG Terminal in 2015, Ruwais LNG Terminal in Abu Dhabi in 2016. The city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates plan to import LNG in 2018. Bahrain plans to import LNG through its Bahrain Hidd FLNG Terminal in 2019. Even Saudi Arabia has recently considered LNG imports.

The United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in cutting off air, sea vessels, and land transportation links with Qatar in June 2017. They charged the gas-rich Qatar of supporting political extremist groups. United Arab Emirates ports, including Jebel Ali, home of the Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal and the region’s largest container terminal, were prohibiting all vessels traveling to, or from, Qatar. A vessel carrying LNG to Dubai’s Jebel Ali floating terminal port to deliver fuel under contract despite the ban on Qatari vessels. The tanker Maran Gas Amphipolis moored in June 2017 originally listed Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal as the destination.

In August 2017 a Qatar shipping company, Milaha Maritime and Logistics, moved its hub from UAE to the country of Oman. Blockading countries, led by Saudi Arabia, had denied Qatar access to their ports. Normally Qatar LNG stopped at the UAE’s Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal, Dubai, or in Abu Dhabi. The LNG then smaller boats in route to Doha, Qatar. Jebel Ali was difficult for Qatar to access during the blockade.

Industry analysts think believe that both Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal and Oman will financially benefit from LNG trade transactions that used to take place in the UAE if more blockages continue. Qatar Petroleum chief told Al Jazeera on July 2017 that at 7 million tons a year his country was the world's biggest LNG exporter. This move to from UAE threatened Dubai’s status as a regional financial hub.