Companies have responded to an initial inquiry from Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction Company (Adgas)to suggest strategic options for the replacement of its first two liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains on Das island and their replacement by a single mega train.

The feasibility study - called operability and vulnerability of trains 1 and 2 - is aimed at carrying out a techno-economic analysis of the ageing LNG production units and also evaluating the best available technology for a new LNG train.

Adgas owns and operates a gas liquefaction plant comprising three trains, with total design capacity of 3.5 million tonnes a year (t/y). However, through extensive debottlenecking the trains produce a total 6 million t/y of LNG, as well as about 1.7 million t/y of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 535,000 t/y of pentane and 338,000 t/y of sulphur. Trains 1 and 2 were commissioned in 1977, while train 3 started production in 1994. Nearly all the LNG is sold on a long-term basis to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

Adgas is also evaluating commercial bids from three companies for an estimated $30 million-35 million, three-year maintenance contract covering its Das island liquefaction plant. The contract is scheduled to start in 2006, and will be for trains 1, 2 and 3 (MEED 17:6:05).

Along with the replacement of trains 1 and 2, Adgas is also understood to be re-evaluating options for the construction of a new LPG train onshore, probably at Ruwais. The proposed train would be fed via pipeline by a new natural gas liquids (NGL) separation plant at Habshan.

Established in 1973 to convert gas extracted from Abu Dhabi's offshore oil fields, Adgas is a joint venture of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) with 70 per cent shares, Mitsui & Company of Japan (15 per cent), the UK's BP (10 per cent) and Total of France (5 per cent).