Arab Gas Pipeline
Country/Province	Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey
Partners	EGAS, ENPPI, PETROGET, GASCO, Syrian Petroleum Company
Length	1,200 kilometres (750 mi)
Maximum discharge	10.3 billion cubic meters per year
General direction	south-north
From	Arish
Passes through	Aqaba, Amman, El Rehab, Deir Ali, Damascus, Banias, Aleppo
To	Homs, Tripoli, (Kilis)
Established	2011
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The Arab Gas Pipeline is a pipeline that exports Egyptian natural gas to the Middle East and possibly to Europe, with a further extension. When completed, it will have a total length of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) at a cost of US$1.2 billion.^[1]

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Arish–Aqaba section 1.2 Aqaba–El Rehab section 1.3 El Rehab–Homs section 1.4 Homs–Tripoli connection 2 Arish-Ashkelon pipeline 3 Future extensions 3.1 Syria-Turkey connection 3.2 Connection with Iraq 4 References

[edit] Description

[edit] Arish–Aqaba section

The first section of pipeline runs from Arish in Egypt to Aqaba in Jordan. It has three segments. The first 250 kilometres (160 mi) long overland segment links Al-Arish to Taba on the Red Sea. It also consists of a compressor station in Arish and a metering station in Taba. The second segment is a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long subsea segment from Taba to Aqaba. The third segment, which includes also a metering station, is a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long onshore connection to the Aqaba Thermal Power Station.^[2]

The $220 million Arish–Aqaba section was completed in July 2003.^[3] The diameter of the pipeline is 36 inches (910 mm) and has a capacity of 10.3 billion cubic meters (bcm) gas per year.^[4] The Egyptian consortium that developed this section included EGAS, ENPPI, PETROGET and GASCO.

[edit] Aqaba–El Rehab section

The second section extended the pipeline in Jordan from Aqaba through Amman to El Rehab, (24 kilometres (15 mi) from the Syrian border). The length of this section is 390 kilometres (240 mi) and it cost $300 million.^[5] The second section was commissioned in 2005.

[edit] El Rehab–Homs section

The third section has a total length of 319 kilometres (198 mi) from Jordan to Syria. A 90 kilometres (56 mi) stretch runs from the Jordan–Syrian border to the Deir Ali power station. From there the pipeline runs through Damascus to the Al Rayan gas compressor station near Homs. This sections includes four launching/receiving stations, 12 valve stations and a fiscal metering station with a capacity of 1.1 bcm, and it supplies Tishreen and Deir Ali power stations. The section was completed in February 2008, and it was built by the Syrian Petroleum Company and Stroytransgaz, a subsidiary of Gazprom.^[6][7]

[edit] Homs–Tripoli connection

The Homs–Tripoli connection runs from the Al Rayan compressor station to Banias in Syria and then via 32-kilometre (20 mi) long stretch to Tripoli, Lebanon. The agreement to start supplies was signed on 2 Sptember 2009 and test run started on 8 September 2009.^[4] Regular gas supplies started on 19 October 2009 and gas is delivered to the Deir Ammar power station.^[8]

There is a proposal to prolong the branch from Banias to Cyprus.^[9]

[edit] Arish-Ashkelon pipeline

The Arish-Ashkelon pipeline is a 100 kilometres (62 mi) submarine gas pipeline connecting the Arab Gas Pipeline with Israel. Although it is not officially a part of the Arab Gas Pipeline, it branches off from the same pipeline in Egypt. The pipeline is built and operated by the East Mediterranean Gas Company, a joint company of Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC - 68.4%), the Israeli company Merhav (25%) as well as Ampal-American Israel Corp. (6.6%).^[10] The pipeline became operational in February 2008. Egypt and Israel have agreed to supply 1.7 bcm natural gas per annum through this pipeline.^[11]

[edit] Future extensions

[edit] Syria-Turkey connection

In March 2006, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Romania reached an agreement to build the pipeline's extension through Syria to the Turkish border. From there, the pipeline will be connected to the planned Nabucco Pipeline for the delivery of gas to Europe. Turkey expects to buy 2-4 bcm of gas annually from the Arab Gas Pipeline.^[12] On 4 January 2008, Turkey and Syria signed an agreement to construct a 63 kilometres (39 mi) pipeline between Aleppo and Kilis as a first segment of the Syria-Turkey connection of the Arab Gas Pipeline.^[13][14] On 14 October 2008, Stroytransgaz signed a US$71 million contract for the construction of this section.^[15] This contract was annulled at the beginning of 2009 and it was re-tendered. The connection is expected to be ready by 2011. From Kilis, a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) long pipeline with a diameter of 12 inches (300 mm) will cotact the pipeline with the Turkish grid. It allows to supply the Turkish grid via the Syrian grid even before completing the Homs–Allepo segment.

[edit] Connection with Iraq

In September 2004, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon agreed to connect the Arab Gas Pipeline with Iraq's gas grid to allow Iraq to export gas to Europe. This project is planned to be completed by 2010.^[5]

[edit] References