据海上能源3月31日报道，总部位于休斯敦的能源公司马拉松石油公司（Marathon Oil Corporation）通过其附属公司马拉松控股有限公司（Maratan E.G.Holding Limited）与赤道几内亚共和国（E.G.）和雪佛龙Noble energy E.G.Ltd签订了一份协议大纲（HOA），以推进赤道几内亚地区大型天然气枢纽中心（GMH）的下一阶段开发。

马拉松石油公司于2023年3月20日周四披露，其将进一步开发GMH的第二阶段和第三阶段，因为第一阶段通过将位于赤道几内亚近海杜阿拉（Douala）盆地的阿伦（Alen）气田与Punta Europa陆上设施进行对接，实现了天然气的输送，该气田于2021年2月交付了第一批天然气。

该公司解释道，来自阿伦油田的天然气通过Alba Plant LLC的陆上液化石油气（LPG）工厂和赤道几内亚液化天然气控股有限公司的液化天然气厂，根据收费和利润共享协议进行加工。

据马拉松石油公司称，宣布的HOA建立在第一阶段的成功基础上，使各方在必要的商业原则上保持一致，以推进GMH的第二阶段和第三阶段。第二阶段涉及根据新的合同条款从2024年1月1日起加工Alba Unit天然气，此前与亨利枢纽有关的阿尔巴销售和购买协议将于今年年底到期。

该公司预计第二阶段将大幅增加对全球液化天然气定价的影响，大幅提高公司的收益和现金流，而GMH的第三阶段预计将促进来自Aseng气田的天然气在Punta Europa设施加工。

根据一份产量分成合同显示，马拉松石油在Alba气田拥有63%的作业权益，在D区块拥有80%的作业权益，这两个区块都位于赤道几内亚近海。另一方面，与Alen气田一样，Aseng油气田(前称为Benita)也由雪佛龙在赤道几内亚的子公司运营。

马拉松石油公司董事长、总裁兼首席执行官李·蒂尔曼（Lee Tillman）表示，“我们对Punta Europa作为当地和地区天然气货币化世界级枢纽中心持续发展的这一关键里程碑感到高兴。这一宣布建立在我们与赤道几内亚政府20多年成功合作的基础上，进一步利用赤道几内亚世界级的天然气货币化基础设施，包括关键的赤道几内亚液化天然气设施，并将其使用寿命延长到下一个十年”。

此外，马拉松石油公司概述了赤道几内亚和喀麦隆之间最近建立的跨境油气开发双边条约，通过跨境气田的快速货币化，为进一步扩大GMH提供了其他机会。

该公司表示，以矿产和碳氢化合物部为代表的该国政府在领导GMH扩建的成功实施方面发挥了积极作用，并致力于确保后续活动和谈判及时取得进展。

马拉松石油公司总结道，除了商业利益外，扩大的开发还确保了未来燃料天然气量，以满足赤道几内亚的发电需求，为赤道几内亚人提供长期就业机会，并将对当地社区的经济产生积极影响。

郝芬 译自 海上能源

原文如下：

Chevron, Marathon Oil and Equatorial Guinea govt pursuing further development of Gas Mega Hub

Houston-based energy company Marathon Oil Corporation, through its affiliated company Marathon E.G. Holding Limited, has inked a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (E.G.) and Chevron’s Noble Energy E.G. Ltd, to move forward with the next phases in the development of the Equatorial Guinea Regional Gas Mega Hub (GMH).

Marathon Oil disclosed on Thursday, 20 March 2023, that it would be working on further developing the GMH’s Phase II and III, as Phase I?was achieved with the tie-back of the Alen field, located in the Douala Basin offshore Equatorial Guinea, to Punta Europa onshore facilities, which delivered first gas in February 2021.

The company explains that gas from the Alen field is processed under the combination of a tolling and profit-sharing arrangement through Alba Plant LLC’s onshore liquified petroleum gas (LPG) plant and Equatorial Guinea LNG Holdings Ltd’s LNG facility.

According to Marathon Oil, the announced HOA builds on the success of Phase I, aligning all parties on necessary commercial principles to advance Phases II and III of the GMH. Phase II involves processing Alba Unit gas from 1 January 2024 under new contractual terms following the legacy Henry Hub-linked Alba sales and purchase agreement expiration at the end of this year.

The company expects Phase II to materially increase exposure to global LNG pricing, improving the firm’s earnings and cash flow significantly while Phase III of the GMH is anticipated to facilitate gas processing from the Aseng field at Punta Europa facilities.

Marathon Oil holds a 63 per cent operated working interest under a production sharing contract in the Alba field and an 80 per cent operated working interest in Block D, both of which are offshore Equatorial Guinea. On the other hand, the Aseng oil and gas field (previously known as Benita) just like the Alen field is operated by Chevron’s affiliate in Equatorial Guinea.

Lee Tillman, Marathon Oil Chairman, President, and CEO, remarked: “We are excited about this critical milestone in the ongoing development of Punta Europa as a world-class hub for the monetization of local and regional natural gas.

“This announcement builds on our successful partnership of more than 20 years with the E.G. government, further leveraging and extending the life of Equatorial Guinea’s world-class gas monetization infrastructure, including the critical Equatorial Guinea LNG facility, into the next decade.”

Moreover, Marathon Oil outlines that a recently established bilateral treaty on cross-border oil and gas development between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon provides other opportunities to further expand the GMH through fast-track monetization of cross-border wet gas fields.

The country’s government, represented by the Ministry of Mines & Hydrocarbons, has taken an active role in leading the successful implementation of this GMH expansion and is committed to ensuring subsequent activities and negotiations progress in a timely manner, says the company.

“Beyond the commercial benefits, the expanded development also secures future fuel gas?volumes?for Equatorial Guinea’s power generation needs, provides longer-term employment opportunities for Equatoguineans, and will positively impact?the?local communities’ economy,” concluded Marathon Oil.