AMMAN – During its meeting, headed by MP
Talal Ensour, the Lower House Energy Committee reviewed the reality of the
Kingdom's fuel reserves and stages of oil and gas exploration in Jordan.
اضافة اعلان
As reported by the Jordan News Agency,
Petra, at the meeting held Sunday, which was attended by
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dr. Saleh Kharabsheh, Ensour stressed the importance of
Jordan's bid to search for alternatives and "
safe and sustainable "energy sources to avoid any sudden disruption, amid the region's current
circumstances.
Ensour said: "We realize the
additional challenges imposed on
Jordan's strategic plans and their sustainability. We are watching with concern the possibilities of what the
Kingdom's energy sector may be exposed to due to the gas agreement with the Israeli
side. "
He also noted Israel was prompted to halt
energy production in several regions, which would have a possible impact on
Jordan's energy sector.
For his part, Kharabsheh referred to
Jordan's Energy Sector Strategy that depends on ensuring energy security,
stressing the success of government efforts in diversifying energy imports.
Kharabsheh said Jordan has a "safe
strategic" oil reserve sufficient for about 60 days, adding that the
Kingdom is prepared for any sudden disruption in the gas supply, as the
ministry is making "remarkable" efforts to search for energy
alternatives.
Additionally, Kharabsheh noted more than 14
memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed in the fields of oil, mineral and
energy exploration, and thousands of samples were collected within 22 months,
indicating that this work requires "long" periods ranging between 10
and 14 years.
"We will put Jordan on the global
mining map, as we move forward in this field as quickly as possible by
entrusting the ministry's workers to carry out exploration work before
attracting international companies," according to the minister.
He added: "We have equipment and rigs
searching for oil in a number of the Kingdom's regions, especially Azraq
district, at depths of up to 3,000 meters."
The ministry, he noted, does not grant oil
and energy exploration tenders to international companies, which lack
capabilities or financial solvency, over concerns of their inability to finish
or complete the operations.
He noted: "We welcome any efforts,
companies, or local consortium in the various fields of energy, especially in
the areas of exploration for safe energy sources."
The minister also announced that there is
no intention to lease a new vessel to store gas, when the current floating ship
contract expires, indicating that tenders will soon be floated to establish a
fixed facility on shore.
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