Egypt to Increase Gas Exports to Jordan

The Petroleum Ministry on Tuesday said it is studying an increase in the gas supplies to Jordan as of mid-November. The ministry’s statement came after a meeting in Cairo between Petroleum Minister Osama Kamal and his Jordanian counterpart.

The Jordanian authorities said imports of Egyptian natural gas have declined to 16 percent of the 240 million cubic feet a day Egypt is under contract to provide.

A government source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that gas supplies to Jordan have been sporadic because of the explosions targeting the pipeline that runs through Sinai.

The pipeline was last blown up on 22 July, the 15th time it was attacked since the start of the uprising in early 2011 that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

A government official said export quantities were reduced to 87 million cubic feet per day in 2011, or 40 percent of the contract signed in 2004, then to less than 40 million cubic feet per day due to the repeated bombing of the pipeline.

The agreement signed between Egypt and Jordan in 2004 stipulates that Egypt exports the total of 240 million cubic feet a day to Jordan for 15 years. This amount is sufficient to fuel 80 percent of Jordan’s electricity.