CAIRO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Egypt's state gas board hasawarded a $2.2 billion tender to import 75 cargoes of liquefiednatural gas (LNG) to four international firms, its chairman saidon Sunday, as the country seeks new energy sources.
Declining production and increasing consumption has turnedthe Arab world's most populous country from an energy exporterto a net importer, prompting a flurry of activity in past monthsto boost foreign supplies.
The four companies will supply four cargoes a month overabout two years, Khaled Abdel Badie of state-run EgyptianNatural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) told Reuters.
Abdel Badie did not identify the four companies. Sevenfirms, including London-based energy major BP, bid for thetender in October.
The country of about 90 million relies heavily on gas togenerate power for households and industry, but has haddifficulty securing imports because it lacks a terminal toprocess LNG, which is natural gas chilled into a liquid state.
But after two years of delays, Egypt contracted Norway'sHoegh LNG for a floating storage and regasification unit,opening the door to LNG imports once the terminal is operationalby the end of March.
Since the deal with Hoegh was finalised, Egypt has signed adeal with Algeria for six LNG cargoes and expects to complete anagreement with Russia's Gazprom later this month. (Reporting by Adel Abdel Rahman; Writing By Shadi Bushra;Editing by Michael Urquhart)