Technical teams from Mellitah Oil and Gas Company successfully carried out an innovative operation Sunday evening to pump natural gas in reverse flow from the Mellitah industrial complex to the Ruwais power plant.
The National Oil Corporation’s media office reported that the initial pumping rate was about 25 million cubic feet per day, with around 440,000 standard cubic meters transported daily. The capacity can gradually increase to 100 million cubic feet per day.
According to the corporation, this achievement, which followed direct supervision and instructions from its chairman ahead of peak summer demand, allowed the General Electricity Company to immediately stop using diesel-fueled turbines and operate them on natural gas instead.
The turbines now running on gas have a production capacity of 100 megawatts in this first phase. This transition provides greater operational flexibility for the grid and significantly reduces liquid fuel costs.
The National Oil Corporation’s chairman reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supplying sufficient gas to operate the Ruwais power plant at full capacity, which exceeds 750 megawatts, despite existing challenges and limited resources.
He praised the flexibility and technical expertise of the national workforce in managing complex operational bottlenecks. He also stressed that the sector will continue to carry out its strategic plan by intensifying efforts and providing necessary resources. The plan includes developing discovered and undeveloped gas fields to meet local market needs and export surplus to international markets.