ADNOC Awards $946 Mln Contract to Develop Umm Shaif Offshore Field

 Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. (Reuters)
Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. (Reuters)
TT

ADNOC Awards $946 Mln Contract to Develop Umm Shaif Offshore Field

 Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. (Reuters)
Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. (Reuters)

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced the award of a $946 million (AED3.47 billion) Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for the strategic long-term development of its Umm Shaif field.

The investment supports ADNOC’s oil production capacity plans of five million barrels per day by 2030 while ensuring energy security for the United Arab Emirates and partners around the world.

The "Long-Term Development Plan – Phase 1" (LTDP-1) EPC contract was awarded by ADNOC Offshore to National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) after a competitive tender process.

The scope of the award covers engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, and commissioning activities required to maintain Umm Shaif’s 275,000 barrels per day (mbd) crude oil production capacity, increase efficiencies and enhance the field’s long-term potential.

Yaser Saeed Almazrouei, ADNOC Upstream Executive Director, said: "This important award for the long-term development of ADNOC’s pioneer offshore Umm Shaif field will maximize efficiencies while maintaining future output and supporting ADNOC’s strategic objective of five million barrels of oil production capacity a day by 2030. "

"In addition, the development plan for Umm Shaif underpins ADNOC’s commitment to maintaining its position as a leading low-cost oil producer and strengthens our role as a reliable energy provider to customers around the world."

The EPC contract, which is due to be completed in 2025, comprises two packages for network expansion and new well-head towers.

The first package includes modifications and extensions of existing facilities with the installation of new subsea cables and pipelines for debottlenecking.

The second package includes the design of three lean well-head towers with associated six new pipelines.

The contract incorporates fit for the future technology including rigless electrical submersible pumps (ESP) and other digital field technologies, which will increase efficiencies while maintaining current production capacity.

Ahmad Saqer Al Suwaidi, CEO of ADNOC Offshore, said: “This contract is an important contributor to ADNOC Offshore’s plans as we build our production capacity to over 2 million barrels a day in the coming years in support of ADNOC’s smart growth strategy."

"The award follows a highly competitive bid process, which included a rigorous assessment of how much of the contract value would support the growth and diversification of the UAE’s economy through ADNOC’s ICV Program."



US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
TT

US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

US job growth accelerated in September and the unemployment slipped to 4.1%, further reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to maintain large interest rate cuts at its remaining two meetings this year.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 254,000 jobs last month after rising by an upwardly revised 159,000 in August, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 140,000 positions after advancing by a previously reported 142,000 in August.
The initial payrolls count for August has typically been revised higher over the past decade. Estimates for September's job gains ranged from 70,000 to 220,000.
The US labor market slowdown is being driven by tepid hiring against the backdrop of increased labor supply stemming mostly from a rise in immigration. Layoffs have remained low, which is underpinning the economy through solid consumer spending.
Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% after gaining 0.5% in August. Wages increased 4% year-on-year after climbing 3.9% in August.
The US unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in August. It has jumped from 3.4% in April 2023, in part boosted by the 16-24 age cohort and rise in temporary layoffs during the annual automobile plant shutdowns in July.
The US Federal Reserve's policy setting committee kicked off its policy easing cycle with an unusually large half-percentage-point rate cut last month and Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized growing concerns over the health of the labor market.
While the labor market has taken a step back, annual benchmark revisions to national accounts data last week showed the economy in a much better shape than previously estimated, with upgrades to growth, income, savings and corporate profits.
This improved economic backdrop was acknowledged by Powell this week when he pushed back against investors' expectations for another half-percentage-point rate cut in November, saying “this is not a committee that feels like it is in a hurry to cut rates quickly.”
The Fed hiked rates by 525 basis points in 2022 and 2023, and delivered its first rate cut since 2020 last month. Its policy rate is currently set in the 4.75%-5.00% band.
Early on Friday, financial markets saw a roughly 71.5% chance of a quarter-point rate reduction in November, CME's FedWatch tool showed. The odds of a 50 basis points cut were around 28.5%.