North Petroleum International Company, a subsidiary of China ZhenHua Oil Co. Ltd, acquired four percent stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's (ADNOC) onshore concession, previously held by CEFC China Energy Company Limited (CEFC China).
ADNOC said ownership change, which was approved by Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council, came in line with the UAE leadership’s directives to grant access to Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas concessions to partners who offer technology, operational experience, capital or market access.
"China ZhenHua Oil’s acquisition of the four percent stake in the onshore concession underlines the continued pull of the UAE as a leading global energy and investment destination, backed by a strong, stable and secure commercial environment," said UAE Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber.
"With China ZhenHua Oil, we will pursue mutually beneficial cooperation, share business growth opportunities and work together as we deliver on our 2030 smart growth strategy,” Jaber added.
China ZhenHua Oil is 100 percent indirectly owned by the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, a Chinese government agency that supervises and manages over a hundred state-owned assets and enterprises in a variety of sectors, including oil and petrochemicals and transport.
Chairman of China Zhenhua Oil Liu Yijiang, for his part, said that ADNOC has succeeded over the past several decades in developing a number of oil fields in Abu Dhabi's large limestone and carbonated reservoirs.
"As a new partner in UAE’s upstream sector, [China Zhenhua Oil] is honored to join the operating concession and will contribute its capabilities in technology, management and supply chains, which may maximize the benefits and value for all,” Yijiang added.
ZhenHua Oil operates 11 oil and gas upstream projects in six countries, with gross production of close to 10 million metric tons per year.
It is also in the fuel storage, transportation and refining business, with a trading desk in Singapore.
Following this step, China ZhenHua Oil will join the onshore concession and shareholders of ADNOC Onshore, including BP of the UK (10 percent), Total of France (10 percent), China National Petroleum Corporation (eight percent), Inpex Corporation of Japan (five percent), and GS Energy of South Korea (three percent) as participants in the onshore concession and shareholders of ADNOC Onshore.
