ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 11 March 2013 29 Rabial II 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5635 Price: QR2 Shareholders Squash: Qatar’s approve QIIB’s Tamimi reigns $2bn sukuk supreme Business | 21 Sport | 29 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Qatar in major gas Emir meets Bosnian Deputy Premier find after 42 years 2.5 tcf of natural gas discovered in an offshore field DOHA: Qatar, the world’s larg- has been made after four years German company Wintershall est exporter of liquefied natural of intensive exploration activi- entered into an exploration gas (LNG) which sits over mas- ties, including the drilling of two and production sharing agree- sive natural gas reserves, has exploration wells. This discovery ment (EPSA) for Block 4 North discovered as much as 2.5 tril- is the result of QP’s implementa- in November 2008. Mitsui Gas lion cubic feet (tcf) of natural tion of the guidance of the Emir Development Qatar joined in gas in an offshore field (Block 4 H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa 2010 by acquiring 20 percent of North). Al Thani, to intensify the explo- the contractor’s interest under This is Qatar’s first new dis- ration and development of our the EPSA with Wintershall covery of gas in 42 years — the natural resources and increase retaining 80 percent interest last find (of its biggest gas field) Qatar’s hydrocarbon reserves,” and operatorship. was in 1971. H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh The uncovering of the gas This discovery was made after Al Sada, the Minister of Energy field after an interval of 42 years four years of intensive explora- and Industry, said yesterday after triggered eager reactions from tion activities, at the block in the announcing the major discovery. Qatar’s industry leaders. H E Khuff formation and in the imme- Block-4N exploration agree- Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, diate vicinity of the North Field, ment is one of a series of explo- Chairman, Qatar Administrative the world’s largest natural gas field. ration and production sharing Control and Transparency The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bosnia- The new discovery can, agreement (EPSA) that Qatar Authority, who is also the former Herzegovina, Zlatko Lagumdzija, at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. Talks during the meeting dealt with bilateral though, in no way be compared Petroleum has signed with inter- energy minister, said the new ties and ways to promote them. to the huge reserves of the North national oil companies to explore discovery will enhance Qatar’s Field which are estimated at a Qatar’s Oil & Gas resources over supply capacity. “Wintershall whopping 900 trillion cubic feet. the last few years. The Block-4N began its operations years ago The new field that has been dis- exploration agreement, which to develop the well,” Al Attiyah covered covers 544 square kilo- now achieved its goal, is dedi- said in a phone-in interview with metres and has water depths of cated for Khuff gas exploration, Al Sharq from Germany. Court sentences two state around 70 metres. the minister said. THE PENINSULA “Gas discovery in Block-4N Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Continued on page 2 staff to community service DOHA: A lower Qatari court minor offence to prison, ask him department that employs the has ordered two state employ- to do community service for a convict. ees — both nationals — to do maximum 12 days. The Attorney General’s deci- community service for 10 days In case a convict refuses to sion, for instance, specifies that an each after it convicted them of abide by a court’s community employee of the Ministry of Awqaf a minor offence. service order, he is liable to be and Islamic Affairs found guilty The court verdict is path- sentenced to 12 weeks in jail. of committing a minor offence breaking and comes barely four One of the above convicts has could be asked by a preliminary days after Qatar’s Attorney been asked to memorise verses of court to either memorise verses General issued a decision based the Holy Quran for 10 days, while of the Holy Quran or help others on amendments to a 2009 penal the other will supervise cleaning do that, or do cleaning work in a code suggesting community serv- in a mosque for a similar period. mosque as punishment — both for ice for the employees of some While a minor offence com- a short period of time as a com- ministries and state agencies who mitted by an employee of a des- munity service. are accused of committing minor ignated state departments or Local Arabic daily Al Watan offence while on duty. ministries is to be reported to a hinted that the two erring H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada posing for a group picture with other officials after announcing the discovery Vide the decision a preliminary lower court by the Prosecution, employees might have been found court could, instead of sentencing the court order is to be exe- guilty of assaulting someone. of new gas reserves, in Doha, yesterday. a state employee charged with a cuted by the ministry or the THE PENINSULA Syria rebels postpone meeting to form govt QCB issues QR4bn debt AMMAN: Syria’s opposition be held on March 12 after being political prisoner after Assad took immediately to pre-empt any deal DUBAI: The Qatar Central Bank yesterday issued QR1bn ($300m) has postponed a meeting to form postponed once already, has been over from his father in 2000. that could see Assad remaining in of local currency sukuk and QR3bn of local currency conventional a provisional government, in rescheduled for March 20, but it Labwani said the coalition was power, Labwani said. bonds, as part of an adjustment of monetary policy and in order to the latest setback to opposition was uncertain it would be held split in two over the merits of A second coalition source said help commercial banks meet Basel III liquidity requirements. Local efforts to create an administra- even then, the sources said. forming government, with some that the meeting could go ahead on currency debt will be issued every quarter, half with three-year tion to take over if President “We cannot afford a split over preferring to wait to see if UN March 20 and that even if only a maturities and half with five-year, the central bank said in a state- Bashar Al Assad is ousted, coali- this issue any more. The revolu- mediator Lakhdar Brahimi’s small number of members attended ment. It did not give specific dates or sizes for future issues, saying tion sources said yesterday. tion was not born chaotic,” said efforts to form a transitional they could approve a government they would be announced later. See also page 21 The Syrian National Coalition coalition member Kamal Al government as part of a politi- with a simple majority. meeting to elect a provisional Labwani, a veteran opposition cal compromise succeed. Other REUTERS Obama’s Israel visit from March 20 prime minister, which was due to figure who spent nine years as a wanted to form a government See also page 9 JERUSALEM: US President Barack Obama’s three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories will begin on March 20, Israel said yesterday, in the first official announcement of the Doha witnesses light rains much-anticipated visit. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Aster Hospital to Netanyahu’s bureau said Obama was due to arrive on Wednesday, March 20, at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv and then head to come up near FFC Jerusalem for talks with President Shimon Peres and a dinner meeting with Netanyahu. See also page 8 DOHA: DM Healthcare, which runs the Aster clinics in Qatar, Falklands residents vote in referendum yesterday announced plans to open its first hospital in the LONDON: Residents of the Falkland Islands yesterday voted in a country by early 2015. referendum intended to show the world that they want to stay British The 50-bed Aster hospital amid increasingly bellicose claims by Argentina. Buenos Aires has dis- will be built in the Airport missed the vote as meaningless, but witnesses reported up to 90 peo- Area (behind the Family Food ple waiting in the rain to vote at a polling station in Stanley. Britain Center) at an estimated cost of has held the barren islands since 1833. Full report on page 13 QR60m, it was disclosed yes- terday. The facility, once ready Japan marks 2nd tsunami anniversary will become the fifth private hospital in Qatar. TOKYO: Japan today marks the second anniversary of a fero- The Group yesterday signed cious tsunami that claimed nearly 19,000 lives and sparked the an agreement with the Qatar- worst nuclear accident in a generation. The government will host based Al Estiana Real Estate a national ceremony in Tokyo, attended by Emperor Akihito and Development which will be Doha overcast by dark clouds. The city witnessed light rains last evening. The weather could be windy and Empress Michiko, to mourn 15,881 people who died and 2,668 others responsible for construction and partly cloudy today, with chances of scattered rains in some places in the country, the weather bureau said who remain unaccounted for. They and the rest of the nation will commissioning of the hospital yesterday. Report on page 4 QASSSIM RAHMATULLAH observe a moment of silence at 2:46pm (0546 GMT), the moment a project.