UAE Signs New Contracts to Develop Energy Sector

The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

UAE Signs New Contracts to Develop Energy Sector

The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The United Arab Emirates awarded ADNOC Drilling a five-year contract to provide integrated drilling services for the development of the Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi.

The new contracts in the oil and gas sector are part of the Emirati authorities' efforts to increase the production capacity of energy supplies.

The $412 million contract will be implemented by ADNOC Offshore and start in the second quarter of 2023.

ADNOC Drilling, listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, announced it would provide integrated drilling services to the Upper Zakum field, the largest producing field in ADNOC’s portfolio, the second-largest offshore oilfield, and the fourth-largest oilfield in the world.

The services provided by ADNOC Drilling will enhance the efficiency of the project's production operations and achieve significant cost savings.

It would also support the company's plans to accelerate the goal of raising its production capacity responsibly to contribute to meeting the growing global demand for energy.

Chief Executive of ADNOC Drilling Abdulrahman al-Seiari said: "We are pleased" that the company has obtained this contract, which will contribute to "effective development of the Upper Zakum field and enable ADNOC to realize accelerated production capacity targets to responsibly supply energy to a world which sees continuously rising demand."

He added: "This contract award further demonstrates the delivery of our strategic objective to expand our oilfield services (OFS) business as we continue to work towards our goal of further doubling OFS revenues by 2025. This contract will add 20 percent to our annual revenue compared with 2022."

In a statement, ADNOC Drilling announced it was committed to expanding its comprehensive suite of services in the Oilfield Services (OFS) division to enable the efficient and competitive delivery of start-to-finish drilling and well completion for the benefit of its customers.

In 2022, ADNOC Drilling had 40 operational Integrated Drilling Services (IDS) rigs, with OFS revenue reaching $405 million, an increase of 23 percent from the previous year.

Previous IDS contract awards in 2022 include a $1.3 billion award for the Ghasha Megaproject, a $1.6 billion award for integrated drilling fluid services, and a $777 million for wireline and perforation services.

Furthermore, ADNOC Logistics & Services, the shipping and maritime logistics arm of ADNOC, announced the deployment of five new-build Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC).

The five VLGCs (Al Ain, Zakher, Rabdan, al-Salam, and Baynounah), each with a capacity of 86,000 cubic meters, have dual-fuel engine technology and use LPG as their primary fuel source, making them among the lowest-emission vessels of this type.

The gas carriers were built at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China, and will be owned and operated by AW Shipping, an ADNOC L&S joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua).

The VLGCs, which transport liquified petroleum gas (LPG), will provide ADNOC L&S greater flexibility to meet growing global gas demand.



Iraq, Saudi, Russia Stress Need for Stable Oil Market ahead of OPEC+ Meeting

A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed stock graph and Opec logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed stock graph and Opec logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
TT

Iraq, Saudi, Russia Stress Need for Stable Oil Market ahead of OPEC+ Meeting

A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed stock graph and Opec logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed stock graph and Opec logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

OPEC+ members Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed in a meeting in Iraq on Tuesday on the importance of maintaining stable oil markets and fair prices, Iraq's Prime Minister Office said on Tuesday.

The talks come ahead of Sunday's meeting of OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, where OPEC+ sources say it will weigh a possible further delay to plans to raise oil output.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak attended the meeting.

They discussed "the conditions of global energy markets and matters related to the production of crude oil, its flow to markets, and meeting demand," the prime minister's office said, Reuters reported.

"The importance of maintaining stability, balance, and fair prices was emphasised, while stressing the vital role played by the OPEC+ group in this regard," the office added.

Russian energy minister Sergei Tsivilev and deputy energy minister Pavel Sorokin were also present, according to a photo posted on the X account of the Iraqi prime minister's media office.

OPEC+, which pumps around half the world's oil, has already delayed a plan to gradually lift production by several months this year because of falling prices, weak demand and rising production outside the group.

Despite OPEC+'s cuts and delays to output hikes, oil prices have mostly stayed in a $70-$80 per barrel range this year and on Tuesday were trading below $74 a barrel, not far above a 2024 low reached in September.

Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov told Reuters on Monday OPEC+ may at Sunday's meeting consider leaving its current oil output cuts in place from Jan. 1. The meeting will be held online, OPEC+ sources said.