OVL hits oil in Najwat block off Qatar shores
OVL hits oil in Najwat block off Qatar shores
28 Dec, 2007, 0448 hrs IST,Rajeev Jayaswal, TNN
NEW DELHI: ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has struck black gold in Arabian Gulf block off Qatar. The Najwat Najem block is the first overseas project executed by OVL wherein the company has both 100% ownership and is the sole operator.
“As per preliminary indications, oil has been encountered in the Shuaiba and Arab formations. The second well will also be completed by January 2008. We are hopeful that this will lead to the development stage,” a source in the petroleum ministry said.
The exact size of the discovery is not known yet as it has not been formally approved. OVL spudded its first appraisal well in the Najwat Najem structure on July 6, 2007. OVL had firmed up two locations for evaluating the structure and assessing and proving its commerciality.
OVL signed an appraisal, development and production sharing agreement (ADPSA) with the Qatari government on March 2, 2005 for the Najwat Najem oil structure appraisal in the country as an operator. The agreement came into effect on May 19, 2005 with the signing of the Emiree Decree (termed the effective date).
ADPSA is for a period of 20 years from the date of the Emiree Decree and comprises of an initial two year appraisal phase followed by a development phase. The minimum work committed during the appraisal phase is reprocessing and interpretation of 200 sq km of seismic data, a preliminary G&G study, drilling of two appraisal wells and an integrated multi-disciplinary study to assess the potential of the area.
The Najwat Najem oil structure is located in the Arabian Gulf in offshore Qatar at a distance of about 100 km north east of Doha Port. It lies at a distance of about 18 km off the Halul island in the state of Qatar. The Jurassic lime stones are the main reservoirs of this structure.
The Najwat Najem oil structure is in the Persian Gulf, at a water depth of approximately 135 feet.
India’s November oil product sales up 5.5 pct
India’s November oil product sales up 5.5 pct
28 Dec, 2007, 1327 hrs IST, REUTERS
NEW DELHI: India’s domestic oil product sales in November rose 5.5 percent from a year earlier to 10.6 million tonnes, official data showed on Friday. Domestic diesel sales were up 10.3 percent to 4.1 million tonnes from a year earlier, the data showed.
HPCL sells Jan stem to Emirates National Oil Co
HPCL sells Jan stem to Emirates National Oil Co
27 Dec, 2007, 1316 hrs IST, REUTERS
SINGAPORE: Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) has sold via tender 25,000-30,000 tonnes of January-loading fuel oil to Emirates National Oil Co (ENOC) at an undisclosed price, traders said on Thursday.
The 380-centistoke (cst) cargo, of 4.0 percent sulphur and 0.998 density, is for loading on Jan. 14-16 from its Vizag terminal, on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.
HPCL last sold a similar lot, for Dec. 15-17 loading from Vizag at a discount of $20-21 a tonne to Singapore spot quotes, on an FOB basis. The cargo was also picked up by ENOC and was re-sold into the Singapore marine fuel market, the world’s largest, traders said.
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Adnoc to supply full term crude for February
Adnoc to supply full term crude for February
Reuters GULF NEWS Published: December 28, 2007, 00:32
Tokyo: Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc) will supply full term volumes of crude oil to its Asian customers for February, the same as January, in line with expectations, traders said yesterday.
On top of the contracted volumes, Adnoc is expected to supply additional spot barrels to some lifters upon request for a third straight month, they added.
Adnoc occasionally sells extra crude to its term buyers in Asia, its main export market, though exact volumes to be supplied were not immediately known.
Three lifters had received written notices that they would get full term volumes for a third month in February and did not ask for extra barrels. “It was exactly at the contracted levels,” one source said. “We had been thinking that there would be no cuts.”
Traders said Adnoc was likely to supply additional volumes of light sour Murban crude for February as spot cargoes to some lifters in need, but one said the volumes will be limited.
When lifters decide to take additional spot crude from Adnoc, they buy at the grade’s official selling price without having to pay a premium in the spot market. The spot differentials for middle-distillates-rich Murban crude for February loading have stayed at a premium of around 20-25 cents a barrel to Adnoc, reflecting winter demand.
A trader said Adnoc offered additional offshore Upper Zakum crude to some lifters, but it was not clear whether any lifter accepted the offer.
Amrita Super Star Caravan in Dubai – 28 December 2007
Dear all,
Excellent, enthralling, everlasting – words are not enough to express the sheer joy of watching the young dynamites as well as the Superstars perform live. And what a performance by Shivamani to end the show.
May AMMAs blessings and God’s grace be with all these talented stars to perform better and better in the coming years too.
Ramesh Menon
28122007
Movie Review – Taare Zamin Par
Movie Review – Taare Zamin Par
Every Child is Special
Dear friends,
Do not miss watching this movie. Excellent one to end 2007 Indian Hindi movies on an ever high note. Every working parent should watch this and for all those who dictate their way with their children this will be a great lesson. Congratulations to Amir Khan and the young Darsheel Safary and also to Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma for brilliantly living their roles throughout. Good songs and photography too.
Take all those kids and loved ones along.
Regards,
Ramesh Menon
http://www.team1dubai.blogspot.com
If it’s Tuesday, it must be the night of poets
If it’s Tuesday, it must be the night of poets
By Silvia Radan (Our staff reporter/KHALEEJ TIMES)27 December 2007
ABU DHABI — After the success of the previous edition, the second session of the Million Poet Competition opened on Tuesday night in the capital, in the presence of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), is taking place at Al Raha Beach Theatre on a weekly basis, every Tuesday. The 48 competitors who have been chosen from an impressive list of 10,000 applicants were all present on stage on the first night, to open the 15-week long live show.
Just like in the previous session, the poets, both men and women, come from all over the Gulf region and beyond, but their poetry, either modern or traditional, is in Arabic language and style.
Each Tuesday night, eight competitors recite their verses and the judges pick two winners, while the public also chooses its two favourites, voting through SMS, which is announced the following week.
By the end of the 15 rounds, 24 poets will be left in the competition, but only one will be crowned the Million Poet, receiving not only the prestigious title, but also Dh1 million.
The previous session, which ended in March this year, was the highest rated show in the Gulf region and it became the latest hit on a TV series.
Visit visa only for immediate relatives
Visit visa only for immediate relatives
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz (Our staff reporter/KHALEEJ TIMES)27 December 2007
ABU DHABI — The Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (ADNRD) took new measures this month to stop issuing visit visas to bring friends and workers to the emirate, according to a senior official at the department.
Colonel Nassir Al Awadi Al Minhali, Director of ADNRD, told Khaleej Times yesterday in an exclusive interview, “The ADNRD allows issuing of visit visas only for immediate relatives, such as parents, brothers, sisters, wives and children.”
The ADNRD would not issue visit visas for the firms because they were allowed to obtain only employment visas after getting temporary mission permits from the Ministry of Labour (MoL).
The new protective measures were aimed at weeding out the phenomenon of illegals from the country.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has completed a study, after the 2007 amnesty period that ended on November 3, to find out the factors that contribute to the problem of illegals in the country.
The study showed that about 25 per cent of the illegals entered the UAE on visit visas.
“The ADNRD has taken the new measures also to curb begging by people entering the county on visit visas. Both the people found begging and their sponsors would face stiff penalties for violating the country’s law,” added Al Minhali.
The visitors found begging in the streets would face penalties such as deportation with life ban. “For the sponsors, the officials will transfer the case to the General Prosecution after imposing stiff penalties on them such as suspension of issuance of visit visas on the sponsor’s code number in the ADNRD’s system,” he said.
“Moreover, we are preparing a database to register all the absconding cases filed by sponsors and the number of visit visas they had applied for. Further, the MoI will launch intensive campaigns to find illegals,” added Al Minhali.
The companies could apply for visit visas only for delegations. This was a special case and the ADNRD would demand bank guarantees ranging between Dh2,000 and Dh5,000, depending on the applications.
“We will also not accept any applications to bring workers on businessmen visas unless the sponsor provides proof that they are really businessmen such as the contracts they have signed, copy of visa card and bank account sheets,” said Al Minhali.
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New development project for Mubazzara
New development project for Mubazzara
By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief GULF NEWS Published: December 27, 2007, 00:13
Al Ain: Mubazzara, a prime tourist attraction in Al Ain, is to undergo a beautification drive through a multi-million dirham project launched by Al Ain Municipality.
Mubazzara, located in the south of the city, is a lush green valley in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, the highest mountain in the UAE. It is a major recreational centre for people coming from across the country and neighbouring GCC countries.
New facilities
The project includes enhancement of the clusters of chalets in different parts of the valley, a children’s play area, ornamental plants and trees and development of new facilities.
A municipality source said ornamental plants would be planted in and around the chalet area.
As part of the project three water tanks will also be constructed to store around nine millions gallons of water for irrigation.
The project has been announced by the municipality’s Public Gardens Section, which says its intentions are to offer world-class facilities for tourists.
A large number of visitors come to Mubazzara during the weekends, national holidays and festive occasions. The area was packed during the recent Eid Al Adha holidays. The site was given special attention by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It has been jointly developed by Al Ain Municipality and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Mubazzara has hot springs and a number of other attractions. The area has lately seen many rapid developments.
The authorities, said the source, have a plan to develop Mubazzara into a fully-fledged tourist resort with all modern facilities and services.
Conference centre
The plan includes a club house and golf course, a visitors’ centre, a planetarium and a conference centre.
The planned golf club will have an 18-hole course and a nine-hole short course along with a media centre.
Earlier this year, the municipality contracted a private firm for the maintenance and development of Mubazzara and its surrounding areas.
The Dh50 million contract will cover the maintenance and landscaping of Zakhir, Ain Al Faydah, Mubazzara and some surrounding areas for four years.
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