Industry

COOEC selects Wood's services for QatarEnergy project

Wood will optimise the complex pipeline network. (Image source: Wood)

Consulting, engineering and operations provider, Wood, has been contracted by China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (COOEC) for QatarEnergy’s Bul Hanine EPIC2 project offshore Qatar

The contract secures scope for delivery of a detailed design for QatarEnergy’s Bul Hanine EPIC2 project offshore Qatar.

The field is characterised by a complex pipeline network to which Wood will find an optimised approach for boosted production capacity and extended asset lifetime, drawing on extensive subsea engineering and flow assurance expertise.

Wood will undertake the design of 25 pipelines, including ensuring safe interaction where pipelines cross existing infrastructure and managing thermal expansion to protect long-term integrity, alongside crossing analysis for 15 umbilicals and two power cables.

Gerry Traynor, regional president - Middle East, Africa & Caspian, at Wood, said, “Wood has a strong track record in delivering offshore detailed design and in optimising installation solutions for complex subsea systems. By working collaboratively with COOEC, we are bringing together complementary strengths that will help accelerate QatarEnergy’s ambition to extend the field’s life, increase capacity and boost production from these critical, ageing assets.”

Wu Zhixing, Deputy Director of COOEC Engineering Company, said, “COOEC is glad to be QatarEnergy's trusted partner for the Bul Hanine EPIC2 Project. This is an important milestone which will build on our continual strong track record in the industry, strengthens our presence and commitment to support the energy landscape in the Middle East, and a testament of COOEC's capability in delivering a trusted EPIC solution for mega offshore projects.”

Sophos highlights prevalence of identity breaches

Identity breaches are increasingly prevalent. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The State of Identity Security 2026 survey by Sophos reveals that 71% of organisations reported at least one identity breach last year, with the energy sector particularly hard hit

The highest breach rates were found in energy, oil and gas, and other utility providers (80.3%), while the lowest breach rates occurred in organisations in IT, technology and telecoms (63.1%) and healthcare (63.4%).
State of Identity Security 2026 is a vendor-agnostic survey of 5,000 IT and cybersecurity leaders across 17 countries. Human error (43%) and poor non-human identity management have been identified as the root causes of most attacks. Weak NHI management, including API keys stored in code, static credentials, and orphaned service accounts, was cited in 41%.
AI agents can autonomously spin up subagents, each generating new credentials with broad, persistent access and inconsistent human oversight. Existing identity frameworks were not built for this, and organisations are already behind. Two thirds of the ransomware victims (67%) responding to this survey confirmed their ransomware incident stemmed from an identity
attack, establishing identity compromise as a primary delivery mechanism for ransomware.
“AI agents are being granted privileges faster than security teams can track them, and organisations that fail to get ahead of this will find it an increasingly costly gap to close,” stated Ross McKerchar, chief information security officer at Sophos. The financial consequences were actually steep as recovery cost reached US$1.64 million, with a median of US$750,000, and 73% of those affected faced costs of $250,000 or more.
The research further states that overall 10% of organisations reported an identity breach that impacted their business in the last year with the primary consequences being data theft (49%), ransomware (48%), and financial theft (47%). 14% of breached organisations could not even detect and stop their most significant identity attack before damage was done. Smaller firms were nearly twice as likely to fail at detection as mid-sized peers.
To reduce exposure to identity-related attacks, organisations should implement a multi-layered approach covering both human and non-human identities. Essential steps include enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all user accounts, applying least-privilege access principles, and disabling or removing inactive identities promptly.
For non-human identities specifically, organisations should inventory and classify all NHIs, replace long-lived credentials with short lived alternatives, and manage NHI credentials at scale.
As agentic AI accelerates NHI proliferation, deploying Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) capabilities and adopting a Zero Trust security model are increasingly vital layers of defence.

ADNOC to accelerate West-East Pipeline Project

The pipeline will bring crude from the Habshan fields to the Port of Fujairah. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has instructed ADNOC to accelerate the West-East Pipeline Project, according to a report from the Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO)

The Crown Prince was chairing a meeting of the Executive Committee of the ADNOC Board of Directors, held at the company’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

The pipeline is currently under construction and is expected to become operational in 2027. It would transport crude from Abu Dhabi's Habshan fields to the Port of Fujairah, boosting the UAE’s ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, though which 20% of the world’s oil supply passes, and which is currently still being blockaded by Iran. The project is expected to double ADNOC’s export capacity via the Emirate of Fujairah, in response to global energy demand.

It comes following the UAE’s recent departure from OPEC, which will allow it greater production flexibility free from OPEC quotas as it looks to increase capacity to 5mn bpd by 2027 with further increases on the cards thereafter.

During the Executive Committee meeting, His Highness commended ADNOC for its resilience in maintaining safe operations, while continuing to supply energy to the local and international market, according to the ADMO report. ADNOC’s Habshan gas processing plant was badly damaged by Iranian drone attacks, and will not be fully repaired until next year, with 80% restoration by the end of 2026, according to ADNOC Gas. However, overall supply across the ADNOC Gas network has been substantially restored, allowing the company to continue meeting domestic customer demand through its broader infrastructure.

His Highness also noted ADNOC’s strong progress in delivering key growth projects, and its operational flexibility to responsibly increase production to meet market needs when export constraints allow.

The Executive Committee noted the progress made in developing the TA’ZIZ Phase 1 chemicals ecosystem in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Al Dhafra Region, highlighting its key role in creating new domestic value chains, according to the ADMO report. His Highness reiterated the important role of ADNOC’s In-Country Value (ICV) programme in driving growth and value creation opportunities for local businesses and manufacturers, and directed the company to prioritise Made in the Emirates products across its projects and operations.

Industrial label printing unplugged

Brady has launched the BradyPrinter i4311. (Image source: Brady Corporation)

Print everything you need, where you need it! With the first transportable printer to deliver 101.60 mm wide labelling without cords or limits

Automated identification and data capture specialist Brady Corporation launches a new type of hybrid label printer that offers industrial label printing performance in a cordless, portable design.

Larger labels

Brady´s new BradyPrinter i4311 is designed to bridge the gap between stationary benchtop label printer power and mobile flexibility. A well-known limitation for most mobile label printers is the maximum width of the label. Brady´s i4311 marks the new maximum label width at 101.60 mm for connected label printing systems that retain true portability.

The larger print width brings a lot more applications into the mobile label printing range, including perforated work-in-progress tags, common size rating plates and larger cable tags, wraps, sleeves, asset labels, component labels and GHS-compliant chemical labels.

Brady i4311 labels 1200x800

No need to look for power outlets with the i4311. The printer is powered by a battery that can handle 5000 large labels on a single charge. Swapping batteries has been made easy and they can be charged in 3.5 hours.

Easy to integrate

The new BradyPrinter i4311 can print labels from phones, tablets and laptops, and even from central company systems using Brady´s software development kit or ZPL support. In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the i4311 also features ethernet and USB-C connections.

The printer´s on-board 7´´ (17.78 cm) touch screen offers both on-device support as well as the capability to print labels directly from the printer. Users can store on average different 85 000 label templates in the printer that can be completed with an on-board ´fill in´ option, fully responsive to your touch.

Industry feedback

Brady also revealed i4311 printer features that were developed with close involvement from the company´s long-standing customers. As a result, the printer´s footprint was limited to 23 x 23 x 33 cm and 5.9 kg and the device´s easy-to-grip handle was optimised.

A battery-saver was also added for when the printer is not in use and battery-swapping was made even easier.

Portable benchtop

Right in the middle of Brady´s mobile label printer and industrial benchtop label printer line ups now sits the BradyPrinter i4311: a portable printer with the company´s benchtop industrial printing capabilities.

Compatible with more than 1300 Brady label parts, the i4311 can print on a majority of Brady´s reliable, laboratory-tested label materials. Just like other Brady printers the i4311 includes LabelSense technology to automatically set label material burn, size and pre-print settings as soon as a label roll is loaded.

Brady i4311 app img067

The company´s newest label printer also works with a host of free Brady Express Labels mobile apps. These enable users to select text in an image file for example, and import it for printing on a label. Or to read barcodes with a phone and send them to the printer. With a commanding voice, labels can even be printed completely hands-free, using BradyVoice, a smartphone microphone and the BradyPrinter i4311.

Watch the printer in action & learn more >>

BRADY in the Middle East

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel UAE: +971 4 881 2524

Tel Qatar: +974 4020 6615

www.brady.eu

Aramco sees profits surge amid oil price volatiity

Aramco's profits rose by 25% in the first quarter of 2026. (image source: Aramco)

Aramco reported sharply increased profits for the first quarter of 2026, amid higher oil prices as a result of the US/Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

The energy giant's profits rose to US$32.6bn in the first quarter, from US$26.6bn in Q1 2025, an increase of 25%.

During the quarter, geopolitical developments in the Middle East significantly impacted global energy markets and resulted in massive supply disruption, with supply losses of more than 1bn bbl since the start of the conflict, increasing oil price volatility. In response, Aramco swiftly activated its business continuity plans to support continuity of global oil and product supplies, rerouting crude oil volumes via the East-West Pipeline to utilise alternative export routes, while also leveraging its domestic and international storage capacity. This enabled Aramco to deliver strong financial results despite impacts to certain Aramco facilities (including the giant Manifa oilfield) and ongoing regional instability. These events did not materially impact Aramco’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, according to the company.

“Aramco’s first quarter performance reflects strong resilience and operational flexibility in a complex geopolitical environment,” said Amin H. Nasser, Aramco’s CEO. “Our East-West Pipeline, which reached its maximum capacity of 7.0 million barrels of oil per day, has proven itself to be a critical supply artery, helping to mitigate the impact of a global energy shock and providing relief to customers affected by shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that recent events have demonstrated the vital contribution of oil and gas to energy security and the global economy, serving as a stark reminder that reliable energy supply is critical.

"Despite these headwinds, Aramco remains focused on its strategic priorities and is leveraging both its domestic infrastructure and its global network to navigate disruption," he continued paying tribute to the professionalism, determination and expertise of the company's people.

Aramco notes that supply shock is hitting an already tight market with limited inventory in the face of higher H2 seasonal demand, reinforcing the recognition of the critical importance of crude supplies.

In terms of operational activity, Aramco continued to deliver strong upstream performance despite regional uncertainty through its operational resilience and flexibility. Total hydrocarbon production in the first quarter of 2026 was 12.6 mmboed, an increase of 0.3mn boed compared to the same period in 2025, which Aramco says reflects its ability to adapt to changing market conditions and showcases the scale and flexibility of its assets, supported by its operational and technical capabilities and robust contingency planning. Progress was made on projects to maintain MSC at 12.0 mmbpd. Aramco notes construction activities advanced for the Zuluf crude oil increment, which is expected to process 600mn bpd of crude oil from the Zuluf field through a central facility in 2026. Engineering, procurement, and construction activities progressed for phase two of the Dammam development project, which is expected to be onstream in 2027, adding crude oil production capacity of 50 mbpd.

Aramco continued to progress its strategy to increase sales gas production capacity by approximately 80% through the following developments during the quarter. Phase one of the Jafurah Gas Plant advanced toward full production capacity and successfully exported the first shipment of condensate to customers. Procurement and construction activities progressed for phase two, which is expected to be completed in 2027. Production from Jafurah is expected to reach 2.0 bscfd by 2030, in addition to significant volumes of ethane, NGL, and condensate. Construction activities progressed for the Fadhili Gas Plant expansion, which is expected to add additional raw gas processing capacity of 1.5 bscfd by 2027. Despite temporary disruptions at certain domestic refining and processing facilities, Aramco maintained strong supply reliability of 96.3% in the first quarter by leveraging its integrated global network.

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