Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI195
2004-01-20 05:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UPPER ZAKUM FIELD UPDATE
null Diana T Fritz 03/15/2007 04:07:24 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM January 20, 2004 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 195 - ROUTINE) TAGS: EPET, PGOV, BEXP, ENRG, ECON, EINV Captions: None Subject: UPPER ZAKUM FIELD UPDATE Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 00195 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: P/M AMB DCM POL Laser1: INFO: FCS DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: ECON:OJOHN CLEARED: DCM:RALBRIGHT, ECON:CMARTIN-CRUMPLER, FCS:NCHARLES-PARKER VZCZCADI724 RR RUEHC RUEHHH RUEHDE RUCPDOC RHEBAAA DE RUEHAD #0195 0200537 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 200537Z JAN 04 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3044 INFO RUEHHH/OPEC COLLECTIVE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 3663 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000195
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/IEP, EB/CBA
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS - COBURN, ALSO CALIENDO
USDOE FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY - RHONDA HUDOME
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
E.O. 12958: DECL 01/06/17
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UPPER ZAKUM FIELD UPDATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000195
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/IEP, EB/CBA
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS - COBURN, ALSO CALIENDO
USDOE FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY - RHONDA HUDOME
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
E.O. 12958: DECL 01/06/17
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UPPER ZAKUM FIELD UPDATE
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, for
reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). This cable contains business
proprietary information. Please protect.
2. (C) In late December, Ambassador and Econchief
met with Exxon Mobil (Al-Khalij) President Frank
Kemnetz, who provided an update on the status of
the Upper Zakkum project. According to Kemnetz,
the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) had not yet met
to decide on which of the bidders (Exxon/Mobil, BP,
JODCO, Chevron/Texaco, Shell and Total) would win
the bid. He said that he suspected that the UAE
would split the project among more than one
company. In that case, he wanted to stress that
U.S. companies were underrepresented in the UAE
with only about 15% of the foreign presence. The
Europeans, he said, had about 60% of the foreign
presence in the UAE. He asked that the Ambassador
take advantage of opportunities to stress that -
other considerations being equal - should the UAE
decide to split up the tender, that it consider the
fact that U.S. companies were under-represented in
the UAE.
3. (C) On January 5, the Ambassador met with
Mohammed Habroush Al-Suwaidi, the Chairman of
National Bank of Abu Dhabi and an influential
member of Abu Dhabi's Supreme Petroleum Council.
During the meeting, she mentioned that our industry
contacts have praised ADNOC's efforts to create a
level playing field in the bidding process and to
evaluate competing proposals fairly. She then
raised the issue of the U.S.'s historical under-
representation in the UAE oil sector. Al-Suwaidi
agreed that U.S. companies were under-represented
in the field and said that he personally saw a need
to even the balance. He stressed that the SPC had
yet to meet on Upper Zakkum, but that in his
opinion, Exxon/Mobil is a very strong contender.
4. (C) Comment: This is potentially good news for
U.S. companies. We have long heard that Exxon is
one of the front-runners. This is an encouraging
indication that at least one U.S. company is being
seriously considered for this significant project.
Wahba
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/IEP, EB/CBA
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS - COBURN, ALSO CALIENDO
USDOE FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY - RHONDA HUDOME
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
E.O. 12958: DECL 01/06/17
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UPPER ZAKUM FIELD UPDATE
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, for
reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). This cable contains business
proprietary information. Please protect.
2. (C) In late December, Ambassador and Econchief
met with Exxon Mobil (Al-Khalij) President Frank
Kemnetz, who provided an update on the status of
the Upper Zakkum project. According to Kemnetz,
the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) had not yet met
to decide on which of the bidders (Exxon/Mobil, BP,
JODCO, Chevron/Texaco, Shell and Total) would win
the bid. He said that he suspected that the UAE
would split the project among more than one
company. In that case, he wanted to stress that
U.S. companies were underrepresented in the UAE
with only about 15% of the foreign presence. The
Europeans, he said, had about 60% of the foreign
presence in the UAE. He asked that the Ambassador
take advantage of opportunities to stress that -
other considerations being equal - should the UAE
decide to split up the tender, that it consider the
fact that U.S. companies were under-represented in
the UAE.
3. (C) On January 5, the Ambassador met with
Mohammed Habroush Al-Suwaidi, the Chairman of
National Bank of Abu Dhabi and an influential
member of Abu Dhabi's Supreme Petroleum Council.
During the meeting, she mentioned that our industry
contacts have praised ADNOC's efforts to create a
level playing field in the bidding process and to
evaluate competing proposals fairly. She then
raised the issue of the U.S.'s historical under-
representation in the UAE oil sector. Al-Suwaidi
agreed that U.S. companies were under-represented
in the field and said that he personally saw a need
to even the balance. He stressed that the SPC had
yet to meet on Upper Zakkum, but that in his
opinion, Exxon/Mobil is a very strong contender.
4. (C) Comment: This is potentially good news for
U.S. companies. We have long heard that Exxon is
one of the front-runners. This is an encouraging
indication that at least one U.S. company is being
seriously considered for this significant project.
Wahba