ADNOC Awards Samsung Two Contracts to Boost Output of Ruwais Refinery

Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan. Reuters
Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan. Reuters
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ADNOC Awards Samsung Two Contracts to Boost Output of Ruwais Refinery

Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan. Reuters
Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan. Reuters

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said Monday it has awarded two contracts worth 12.8 billion dirhams ($3.5 billion) to South Korea's Samsung Engineering to boost output at the largest refinery in the United Arab Emirates.

The contracts were signed by ADNOC Refining, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADNOC, and Samsung Engineering.

The first engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was awarded for a $3.1 billion project on flexibility in crude oil processing in Ruwais refinery.

The crude flexibility project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. It will enable the Ruwais Refinery-West plant to process up to 420,000 barrels per day of Upper Zakum crude, or similar oil grades, freeing up more exports of ADNOC’s Murban crude, which is sold at a premium.

While the second EPC contract is for a 1.73 billion dirhams ($473 million) project to recover power and water, also at the Ruwais oil refinery.

This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. It will generate an additional 230 megawatts of electricity for sale and 62,400 cubic meters of water daily by capturing waste heat and upgrading four gas turbines with closed-cycle power generation technology.

The signing of the contracts coincided with the visit of South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to the UAE.

ADNOC’s Downstream Director Abdulaziz al-Hajri and CEO of Samsung Engineering Choi Sung-An signed the deals in the presence of Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO, and Paik Ungyu, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea.

"ADNOC has a long and successful history of working with Korean companies as partners in our concession areas, as contractors for our major projects and as a customer of our crude oil and refined products,” Al Jaber said.

“The award of two major Engineering, Procurement and Construction [EPC] contracts reinforces the strong business relationship that exists between the UAE and Korea," Al Jaber added.

"As ADNOC continues to deliver on its 2030 smart growth strategy, a number of new and exciting opportunities exist across our value chain, particularly in the downstream, which offer the potential to deepen and develop the longstanding relationship between ADNOC and its Korean counterparts," he further noted.

The project will significantly contribute to reducing the environmental impact of ADNOC's refining and power generation processes as well as improving energy efficiency.

The two projects represent an important development within ADNOC's efforts to enhance value in the field of gas and petrochemical refining.



Oil Edges Down amid Bearish Trump Tariff Outlook

A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
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Oil Edges Down amid Bearish Trump Tariff Outlook

A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo

Oil prices declined moderately on Thursday as investors weighed the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on global economic growth.

Brent crude futures were down 23 cents, or 0.3%, at $69.96 a barrel by 0904 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 32 cents, or 0.5%, to $68.06 a barrel.

On Wednesday, Trump threatened Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, with a punitive 50% tariff on exports to the US, after a public spat with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He has also announced plans for tariffs on copper, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals and his administration sent tariff letters to the Philippines, Iraq and others, adding to over a dozen letters issued earlier in the week including for powerhouse US suppliers South Korea and Japan.

Trump's history of backpedaling on tariffs has caused the market to become less reactive to such announcements, said Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx Capital Group.

"People are largely in wait and see mode, given the erratic nature of policy making and the flexibility the administration is showing around tariffs," Tchilinguirian said.

Policymakers remain worried about the inflationary pressures from Trump's tariffs, with only "a couple" of officials at the Federal Reserve's June 17-18 meeting saying they felt interest rates could be reduced as soon as this month, minutes of the meeting released on Wednesday showed.

Higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive and reduce demand for oil, Reuters said.

Supporting oil prices however was a weaker US dollar in Thursday's Asia trading session, said OANDA senior analyst Kelvin Wong. A weaker dollar lifts oil prices by making it cheaper for holders of other currencies.

US crude stocks rose while gasoline and distillate inventories fell last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Gasoline demand rose 6% to 9.2 million barrels per day last week, the EIA said.

Global daily flights were averaging 107,600 in the first eight days of July, an all-time high, with flights in China reaching a five-month peak and port and freight activities indicating "sustained expansion" in trade activities from last year, JP Morgan said in a client note.

"Year to date, global oil demand growth is averaging 0.97 million barrels per day, in line with our forecast of 1 million barrels per day," the note said.

Additionally, there is doubt the recent increase in production quotas announced by OPEC+ will result in an actual increase in production, as some members are already exceeding their quotas, said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG.

"And others, like Russia, are unable to meet their targets due to damaged oil infrastructure," he said.

OPEC+ oil producers are set to approve another big output boost for September, as they complete both the unwinding of voluntary production cuts by eight members, and the United Arab Emirates' move to a larger quota.