Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC to Acquire 30% Stake in Absheron Gas Field

The sun rises over the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. headquarters that dominates the skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7, 2016. (AP)
The sun rises over the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. headquarters that dominates the skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7, 2016. (AP)
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Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC to Acquire 30% Stake in Absheron Gas Field

The sun rises over the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. headquarters that dominates the skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7, 2016. (AP)
The sun rises over the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. headquarters that dominates the skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7, 2016. (AP)

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Friday it would acquire a 30% equity stake in the Absheron gas and condensate field in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Baku.

The agreement would see Azeri state oil company SOCAR and TotalEnergies each holding a 35% stake in the field.

TotalEnergies had announced first gas from Absheron in July. Prior to Friday's agreement, it held a 50% stake alongside SOCAR.

ADNOC's investment in Azerbaijan comes as part of a strategic plan to grow its international gas business.

The Abu Dhabi state oil giant in March offered, with BP, to jointly acquire 50% of Israeli offshore natural gas producer NewMed Energy for about $2 billion, marking their entry into Israel's growing energy sector.

ADNOC sharpened its focus on the gas market as competition for LNG has ramped up since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Europe in particular needing large amounts to help replace gas piped from Russia.

"With global gas demand expected to steadily increase over the coming decades, ADNOC will continue to responsibly meet the world's energy needs by developing and producing natural gas from world-class assets such as Absheron," Musabbeh Al Kaabi, executive director of low carbon solutions and international growth at ADNOC, was quoted as saying in a statement.



Iran's Rial Hits a Record Low, Battered by Regional Tensions and Energy Crisis

An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
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Iran's Rial Hits a Record Low, Battered by Regional Tensions and Energy Crisis

An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)

The Iranian rial on Wednesday fell to its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of value since Donald Trump won the US presidential election in November and signaling new challenges for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East.

The rial traded at 777,000 rials to the dollar, traders in Tehran said, down from 703,000 rials on the day Trump won.

Iran’s Central Bank has in the past flooded the market with more hard currencies in an attempt to improve the rate.

In an interview with state television Tuesday night, Central Bank Gov. Mohammad Reza Farzin said that the supply of foreign currency would increase and the exchange rate would be stabilized. He said that $220 million had been injected into the currency market, The AP reported.

The currency plunged as Iran ordered the closure of schools, universities, and government offices on Wednesday due to a worsening energy crisis exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. The crisis follows a summer of blackouts and is now compounded by severe cold, snow and air pollution.

Despite Iran’s vast natural gas and oil reserves, years of underinvestment and sanctions have left the energy sector ill-prepared for seasonal surges, leading to rolling blackouts and gas shortages.

In 2015, during Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, the rial was at 32,000 to $1. On July 30, the day that Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and began his term, the rate was 584,000 to $1.

Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that persist today.

Iran’s economy has struggled for years under crippling international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions.

Tensions still remain high between the nations, 45 years after the 1979 US Embassy takeover and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed. Before the revolution, the rial traded at 70 for $1.