UAE’s ADNOC Plans to Invest in $3.1 Billion Upgrade to Ruwais Refinery

Cars are seen an ADNOC petrol station in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
Cars are seen an ADNOC petrol station in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
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UAE’s ADNOC Plans to Invest in $3.1 Billion Upgrade to Ruwais Refinery

Cars are seen an ADNOC petrol station in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
Cars are seen an ADNOC petrol station in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced investing $3.1 billion in a project to upgrade the crude oil Ruwais Refinery, aiming to increase profitability margins in oil refining operations.

The announcement of the project is another important step as ADNOC moves ahead with its Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals strategy, aiming to increase profitability margins through enhancing asset flexibility and operational activities supported by strong marketing initiatives for crude oil and products.

“Enabling the Ruwais Refinery-West to process Upper Zakum, or similar, medium sour crude, in place of Murban light sweet crude, will allow us to extract greater value from our crude resources,” Abdulaziz Abdulla Alhajri, Director of ADNOC’s Downstream Directorate, said in comments posted on the company’s website.

On that note, Samsung Engineering said its joint venture with CB&I Nederland, a global player in the technology and infrastructure services sector, has been awarded a major contract by ADNOC to build the crude flexibility project for its refining unit in the UAE capital.

Samsung Engineering said at a value of $3.1 billion, it is the ninth award in total the company has received from ADNOC.

According to the deal, the Samsung Engineering JV will construct a new atmospheric residue de-sulfurization (ARDS) facility, with a capacity of 177,000 barrels per day. It is due for handover by the end of 2022.

The ARDS technology is used in upgrading medium to heavy petroleum oils and residues to more valuable clean environmentally friendly transportation fuels and to partially convert the residues to produce low-sulfur fuel oil and hydrotreated feedstocks, ADNOC said.

Work will soon start on the project, which will come up at the Ruwais Industrial Complex - the largest industrial complex in the UAE.

Samsung Engineering has previously delivered six projects in the Ruwais complex.



Gold Gains over 1% as Dollar, Yields Ease; Spotlight on Trade

A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
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Gold Gains over 1% as Dollar, Yields Ease; Spotlight on Trade

A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo

Gold prices gained over 1% on Monday as the dollar and US bond yields weakened amid uncertainty over trade talks ahead of a US deadline of August 1 for countries to strike deals or face more tariffs.

Spot gold was up 1.2% at $3,390.79 per ounce at 9:52 ET (1352 GMT). US gold futures were up 1.3% to $3,402.40.

The US dollar index was down 0.4%, making dollar-denominated gold more affordable for buyers using other currencies, while benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hit a more than one-week low, Reuters reported.

"With the August 1st deadline looming, it brings a level of uncertainty to the market and that certainly is supportive," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures.

The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the US as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats.

On the interest rate front, traders are pricing about a 63% chance of a rate cut in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the entire Federal Reserve needed to be examined as an institution and whether it had been successful.

Talk of earlier than expected U.S. rate cuts is building, with speculation around a possible replacement of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and reshaping of the Fed adding to market jitters, Meger said.

Gold is considered a hedge against uncertainty and tends to perform well in a low interest rate environment.

Data showed that the world's leading gold consumer, China, brought in 63 metric tons of the precious metal last month, the lowest amount since January. Its imports of platinum in June fell 6.1% from the prior month.

Spot silver gained 1.8% to $38.86 per ounce, platinum rose 2.2% to $1,453.17 and palladium was 3.5% higher at $1,284.46.