UAE's ADNOC Announces Three New Oil Discoveries

Some of the pipelines in the Bu Hasa, Abu Dhabi’s biggest onshore field. (WAM)
Some of the pipelines in the Bu Hasa, Abu Dhabi’s biggest onshore field. (WAM)
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UAE's ADNOC Announces Three New Oil Discoveries

Some of the pipelines in the Bu Hasa, Abu Dhabi’s biggest onshore field. (WAM)
Some of the pipelines in the Bu Hasa, Abu Dhabi’s biggest onshore field. (WAM)

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced Thursday three oil discoveries including one at Bu Hasa, Abu Dhabi’s biggest onshore field, with a crude oil production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The discovery in Bu Hasa includes 500 million barrels of oil from an exploration well in the field, the company said in a statement, adding that the discovery offers “substantial additional premium-grade Murban oil resources.”

ADNOC said the second oil find was in Abu Dhabi’s Onshore Block 3, operated by Occidental, and around 100 million barrels of oil in place were discovered.
In the third discovery, around 50 million barrels of light and sweet Murban-quality crude were found in the Al Dhafra Petroleum Concession, ADNOC added.

The discoveries were unveiled during a meeting of the Executive Committee of ADNOC’s Board of Directors chaired by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

Interlocutors met at ADNOC’s headquarters and reviewed the company’s performance and strategic goals.

Sheikh Khaled commended the company for its collaborative approach with its partners, which would ensure that the UAE remains a reliable supplier of some of the world’s least carbon-intensive oil for decades to come.

He also gave directives to explore new clean energy partnerships, including clean hydrogen, as part of the company’s ambitious growth plans in the field, and to help support the energy transition.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.