Efforts to monetize the world’s large inventory of mid-tier gas fields are clearly accelerating. Governments that control these fields are often more eager to work with international energy companies and investors to earn foreign currency than those nation’s with the largest reserves. In many instances, fields in this size range were discovered but passed over decades ago by firms more focused on finding the larger fields.
Higher energy prices and efforts by leading gas-export nations to retain greater percentages of their natural resources have improved mid-tier field economics. Hence, these fields are being developed without the largest-possible scale infrastructure in mind. With each new project, knowledge and experience with medium-scale infrastructure improves.
Already, the economics have improved considerably. More than a dozen medium-scale LNG plants are under construction, and the concept of commercial transport of gas via marine CNG ship has never received more attention. We believe an overall trend toward downscaling technology to reach smaller fields has been irreversibly set in motion.
ZECG assists clients in screening and identifying optimal sources of gas supply for projects of large and small dimensions. Our services include (1) introducing project and supply-chain developers and to gas reserve holders and (2) assisting in deal structuring and negotiations. Our work is aided by the fact that we maintain profiles on our Virtual Energy Library of some 10,000 gas fields and lease blocks in some 390 basins around the world.
Download ZECG's Fall 2007 Position Paper: "MID-TIER GAS FIELDS: THE NEXT FRONTIER" including the ZECG Mid-tier Gas capabilities description. |
