Jordan and Egypt will sign a new gas export agreement next Thursday after all parties agreed to a settlement finalized and approved by the Jordanian and Egyptian governments. “The pumping of Egyptian gas will resume when the agreement is signed,” said an anonymous source to the Jordanian al-Ray newspaper. “The quantities of gas and prices will be in accordance with the agreement.” Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade Hani Mulki and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled Tukan chaired the Jordanian delegation that visited Cairo before Eid al-Fitr. The delegation hashed out the terms of the agreement – primarily price and gas volume – with Egyptian officials and settled on an equitable solution. Egyptian officials also looped in Jordanian officials on security plans implemented to prevent attacks on the gas pipeline, the source reported. Egyptian officials were also not disinclined to compensate Jordan for the repeated power outages resulting from disruptions in gas service, the source added. The disruptions in service, largely due to the five bombings since February 5, cost the Jordanian treasury an estimated U.S. $5 million. A 2004 gas agreement between Jordan and Egypt lays out a 15-year plan to provide Jordan with 240 million cubic feet of gas per day to the Hashemite Kingdom (4.2 billion cubic meters annually). This amount provides Jordan with between 60 and 65 percent of its electricity needs. In July 2010, the parties agreed to increase this service to up to 300 million cubic feet per day.
