Egypt ramps up Idku terminal LNG exports to 1 bcf per day

Egypt has reportedly increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from its Idku terminal to 1 billion cubic feet per day from 300 million cubic feet last month.

The LNG export increase was reported by the Egyptian financial newspaper Al-Borsa on Tuesday.

Egypt became self-sufficient in natural gas in late 2018 and is seeking to become a regional energy trading hub by liquefying gas and re-exporting it.

Idku is its only operational LNG terminal at present, though exports are also made via pipelines.

The Idku LNG plant is located approximately 50 kilometers east of Alexandria. It consists of two natural gas liquefaction trains with a combined capacity to produce 7.2 million tonnes of LNG per annum.

Although commissioned in 2005, the Idku LNG export facility has been operating below its nameplate capacity due to a lack of sufficient domestic gas production.

The LNG terminal is capable of exporting up to ten billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to the global market, but the company previously stated that the facility was expected to reach its full capacity by the end of 2019, with the surge in domestic gas production.

Shell, Petronas, Engie, and Egypt’s two main state oil and gas companies, EGAS and EGPC, are the shareholders in the Idku plant.