殼牌尋求延長委內瑞拉天然氣計畫的美國許可證

殼牌正在尋求美國的長期授權，然後才能最終完成對委內瑞拉 Dragon 天然氣項目的投資，該項目位於特立尼達和多巴哥的海上邊界附近，擁有大量天然氣儲量。雖然特立尼達和委內瑞拉需要天然氣和潛在收入，但目前的美國許可證將於2025 年10 月到期，導致殼牌請求延期，以涵蓋該油田的投資決策以及與特立尼達NGC 的共同開發。

Shell Seeks Extended U.S. License for Venezuela Gas Project

殼牌尋求延長委內瑞拉天然氣計畫的美國許可證

Houston, Texas - Royal Dutch Shell, a global energy giant, is reportedly pursuing a long-term license from the United States before making a definitive investment decision on the Dragon natural gas project in Venezuela. According to four individuals with knowledge of the matter, Shell's request stems from the anticipated extended timeline for the project compared to the existing U.S. license granted to Trinidad and Tobago.

德州休士頓 - 據報道，全球能源巨頭荷蘭皇家殼牌公司正在尋求美國的長期許可證，然後再對委內瑞拉的 Dragon 天然氣項目做出最終投資決定。據四位知情人士透露，殼牌的要求源於與美國授予特立尼達和多巴哥的現有許可證相比，該計畫的預計時間表將延長。

The Dragon field, located in Venezuelan waters near the maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago, holds an estimated 4.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Trinidad and Tobago has a pressing need for this resource to fuel its liquefied natural gas and petrochemical industries, while Venezuela seeks to establish a new revenue stream through exports.

Dragon氣田位於委內瑞拉與特立尼達和多巴哥海上邊界附近的水域，估計蘊藏4.2兆立方英尺的天然氣。特立尼達和多巴哥迫切需要這種資源來為其液化天然氣和石化工業提供燃料，而委內瑞拉則尋求透過出口建立新的收入來源。

In January 2023, the United States granted Trinidad and Tobago a two-year license to negotiate and develop the Dragon project, with Shell serving as the operator and state-owned companies PDVSA (Venezuela) and the National Gas Company (NGC) (Trinidad and Tobago) as participants. The U.S. amended the license in October 2023, extending its validity until October 2025 and allowing Venezuela to receive proceeds from gas sales in cash.

2023年1月，美國授予特立尼達和多巴哥為期兩年的Dragon項目談判和開發許可證，由殼牌擔任運營商，國有公司PDVSA（委內瑞拉）和國家天然氣公司（NGC）（特立尼達和多巴哥）多巴哥）作為參與者。美國於 2023 年 10 月修改了該許可證，將其有效期延長至 2025 年 10 月，並允許委內瑞拉以現金形式獲得天然氣銷售收益。

Subsequently, in December 2023, the Venezuelan government approved the project through a 30-year license, granting Shell and NGC the rights to extract and export the gas to Trinidad and Tobago. The final investment decision (FID), which represents the last step in determining the project's feasibility and construction, is anticipated by Trinidad and Tobago in the coming year.

隨後，2023年12月，委內瑞拉政府透過30年許可證批准了該項目，授予殼牌和NGC開採天然氣並將其出口到特立尼達和多巴哥的權利。特立尼達和多巴哥預計將在明年做出最終投資決定（FID），這是確定該項目可行性和建設的最後一步。

However, given the complexity and extended timeline of the Dragon project, the current U.S. license may expire before the FID is reached or initial gas production commences, prompting the need for a new authorization. Shell is therefore actively seeking a longer-term license from the U.S. government to allow for the FID and co-development of the field with NGC.

然而，考慮到 Dragon 專案的複雜性和較長的時間，目前的美國許可證可能會在最終投資決定達成或初始天然氣生產開始之前到期，這需要新的授權。因此，殼牌正在積極尋求美國政府的長期許可，以便進行最終投資決定並與 NGC 共同開發該油田。

Shell is reportedly proposing a 15-year license. Sources indicate that the company believes the U.S. will grant the license, if not immediately, due to the substantial investment of over $1 billion required for the project. A Shell spokesperson declined to comment, while other relevant entities, including PDVSA, NGC, Venezuela's oil ministry, and the U.S. Treasury Department, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

據報道，殼牌提議頒發 15 年的許可證。消息人士稱，由於該項目需要超過 10 億美元的巨額投資，該公司相信美國即使不會立即頒發許可證，也會頒發許可證。殼牌發言人拒絕置評，而包括PDVSA、NGC、委內瑞拉石油部和美國財政部在內的其他相關實體也沒有立即回應置評請求。

Trinidad and Tobago's Energy Minister, Stuart Young, has engaged in discussions with Venezuela and the U.S. on this issue. He recently met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt to address the need for an extended license, as the two-year window provided by the current license may not suffice for the project's completion.

特立尼達和多巴哥能源部長史都華楊已與委內瑞拉和美國就這一問題進行討論。他最近會見了美國負責能源資源的助理國務卿杰弗裡·皮亞特（Geoffrey Pyatt），討論了延長許可證的需要，因為當前許可證提供的兩年窗口可能不足以完成該項目。

Young emphasized the extended timeline involved in the transaction, underscoring the need for a license that accommodates the project's timeframe. Shell's Dragon project faces potential competition from another gas project in Trinidad and Tobago's waters, Manatee, which is also operated by Shell. It remains to be seen which project will secure the FID and be the first to supply gas to Trinidad and Tobago.

Young 強調了交易所涉及的延長的時間表，並強調需要有適應專案時間框架的許可證。殼牌的 Dragon 項目面臨特立尼達和多巴哥水域另一個天然氣項目 Manatee 的潛在競爭，該項目也由殼牌運營。哪個項目將獲得最終投資決定並成為第一個向特立尼達和多巴哥供應天然氣的項目還有待觀察。