Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan's National Electric Power Company has published a tender to import 1.66 BCM of gas over four years.

With the development of the Leviathan field still on hold, it remains unclear whether the letter of intent signed last year between the Leviathan partners and Jordanian government's National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) to buy 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas over 15 years is still on the agenda. It may not be, for according to reports in the Jordanian media, the National Electric Power Company, still seeking cheap gas to replace the fuel until several years ago supplied by the Egyptians, has published a tender to import 1.66 BCM over four years.

Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources spokesperson Haidar Gammaz told the "Jordan Times," "Jordan is working on diversifying its energy resources and especially natural gas resources; the terminal has made it possible to import LNG from several markets. Jordan received the first two shipments of LNG that arrived and were unloaded at the terminal already. Jordan is expected to receive more than 15 LNG shipments during the second half of this year,"

Jordan is importing liquid natural gas from Qatar as well as from Shell and Vitol and is in talks to buy gas from the Palestinian's Gaza Marine field.

Last May, Jordan brought in a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), similar to the one moored off the coast of Hadera used by the IEC when gas consumption peaks. The FSRU converts liquid gas back to gas and streams it onshore. The installation, which has been leased by Jordan from Golar Eskimo for five years and an option for a further five years, can handle 7 BCM annually.

All these measures taken by Jordan do not necessarily mean it has relinquished the idea of importing gas from Israel but it is not sitting around idly, waiting for Israel to sort out its regulatory disputes, and finally develop Leviathan.

*Globes