LNG

Kent, the privately-owned international integrated energy services company headquartered in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, has won a natural gas pipeline project contract to improve energy security for some of the smaller of the seven emirates that make up the UAE.

The Kent group, which is backed by private equity firm Bluewater, was named as the project management consultant (PMC) for the new pipeline in the northern UAE to supply RAKGAS.

RAKGAS is a state-owned energy business set up in 1984 in Ras Al Khaimah, transitioning from a gas company to a diverse energy provider.

Ras Al Khaimah is the largest city and capital of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

It is the sixth-largest city in the UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain and Ajman.

Pipeline route

The pipeline will stretch from the Taweelah-Fujairah Gas Pipeline to Ras Al Khaimah with a connection to the Sajaa gas storage in the Sharjah emirate.   

The Taweelah-Fujairah link is an existing natural gas pipeline running for 244 kilometres (152 miles) in length from Taweelah in Abu Dhabi to Al Fujairah.

Kent will be responsible for coordinating efforts between RAKGAS and the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study contractor, ensuring that the project’s progression remains on target and aligned with its planned objectives.

“Collaborating with Kent on this project is a testament to our vision for energy supply in the region,” said RAKGAS Chief Executive Chris Wood.

“Their expertise and experience in the UAE will steer this project to success, ensuring we deliver on our commitments for energy security in Ras Al Khaimah,” Woods stated.

Partnership

Tush Doshi, Chief Operating Officer at Kent, said he was proud to partner with RAKGAS on this project.

“It will allow us to bring our world-class PMC delivery expertise to the Northern Emirates,” Doshi explained.

“We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with RAKGAS, as we ensure a continuous and seamless execution across leading energy projects in the region,” said the Kent COO.

Both Kent and RAKGAS added that they had adopted a “proactive approach” to addressing the region’s energy needs.

The Kent group is growing as a Middle East player. It gained some engineering traction in July 2021 when it completed the acquisition of the majority of the oil and gas division of Montreal, Canada-based engineers SNC-Lavalin.

Petrofac, the London-based oil and gas services company, said it was  awarded two contracts, together worth around $1.65 billion with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in the United Arab Emirates.