UAE’s state-owned oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and TOTAL oil and gas company from France delivered the first unconventional gas from the country from the Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession located 200 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi city.
The occasion represents a significant milestone towards future full-field development of the resource and is a critical step towards ADNOC’s target of producing 1 billion standard cubic feet (SFD) of gas from the deal before 2030 leading to the UAE’s self-sufficiency in the domain.
The delivery comes two years after ADNOC and TOTAL agreed to collaborate on the project making the delivery the first occasion in the Middle East when the goal was met before the stipulated project timeline.
Yaser Saeed Almazrouei, ADNOC Upstream Executive Director, said, “This achievement marks another important milestone in the development of the UAE’s unconventional gas resources as we deliver on our integrated gas strategy and work to achieve gas self-sufficiency for the nation.
“The accelerated progress in Ruwais Diyab is a testament to the long-standing partnership between ADNOC and TOTAL, which has enabled us to expedite the learning curve in the production of unconventional gas resources, provided cost optimization opportunities and driven efficiencies. All of these remain key as we move forward with confidence to further develop the concession and unlock its substantial potential to drive sustainable value for the UAE and its people.”
This milestone builds on ADNOC’s continuous efforts to de-risk unconventional gas resources across Abu Dhabi since 2016 and comes just over a year after Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) declared the discovery of 160 trillion scf of unconventional gas recoverable resources.
The Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession greatly benefits from its strategic location near ADNOC’s Ruwais industrial area, providing market access and allowing operations to leverage ADNOC’s expansive existing infrastructure which will continue to benefit the UAE’s evolving unconventionals industry.
In November 2018, ADNOC signed an agreement with TOTAL which granted the french oil giant a 40 percent stake in the Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession. Under the terms of the agreement, TOTAL will explore, appraise and develop the concession area’s unconventional gas resources.
