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The agreement signing. (Image source: QatarEnergy)

Exploration & Production

QatarEnergy, with its partners Shell and Sonangol E&P has signed an agreement with Angola’s National Agency for Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG) to hold interests in Blocks 8 and 22 offshore the Republic of Angola

Under the agreement, and subject to the relevant governmental approvals and final contractual arrangements, QatarEnergy will hold a 30% working interest, while Shell (the operator) will hold 50%, and Sonangol will hold 20% in the two offshore blocks.

For QatarEnergy, the agreement marks another important step in advancing its ambitious international exploration strategy, with maximising value from upstream being one of its five key strategic pillars in its vision to be one of the best energy companies in the world.

QatarEnergy acquired a 40% stake in the North Rafah block, offshore Egypt in October 2025, following hard on the heels of the acquisition of a 27% participating interest in the North Cleopatra block offshore Egypt, operated by Shell. QatarEnergy has also acquired exploration licences in the Republic of Congo, Algeria and Namibia.

His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “QatarEnergy is pleased to sign this agreement and to establish a presence in the energy sector of the Republic of Angola as part of our international upstream exploration strategy and growth efforts. We would like to thank the Angolan authorities, and our partners Shell and Sonangol, for their cooperation and support. We look forward to a longstanding and fruitful partnership.”

The agreement was signed in the Angolan capital Luanda on the sidelines of the Angola Oil & Gas Conference, where the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, highlighted the contribution of oil activity to the diversification of the economy and outlined the main lines of the Executive's vision for the sector.

ANPG formalised a series of offshore entries, risk-service contracts and other agreements with international oil companies at the show, advancing exploration across the Kwanza and Congo Basins.

Sonangol presentations emphasised the national oil company's contribution to boosting the market, attracting capital, and consolidating strategic partnerships.

Reaching offshore platforms safely can be a challenges. (Image source: Noatum Maritime)

Industry

Inspection and maintenance programmes are often defined by the condition of an asset. Yet before any assessment or intervention can begin, operators must solve an equally important challenge: how to reach the required area safely and with minimal disruption

This is particularly relevant across offshore platforms, port infrastructure and industrial facilities where access requirements can vary considerably. A component may be submerged, positioned at height, located within a confined space or difficult to approach using conventional equipment.

Established in the UAE in 2009, Divetech, part of Noatum Maritime’s offshore division within AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, combines commercial diving expertise with rope access and industrial inspection capabilities. Through its developing use of robotics-enabled technologies, it is also broadening the options available for inspecting challenging, difficult-to-access areas.

Identifying the most effective combination

Rather than relying on a single access technique, Divetech considers the asset, its operating environment and the requirements of the work to identify the most appropriate combination of personnel, specialised techniques and equipment. Depending on the scope, this may include rope access, scaffolding, web netting systems or technology-enabled solutions.

Effective preparation is essential to help minimise disruption to ongoing operations. This emphasis on preparation is also reflected in Divetech’s daily rope access training at its facility in Abu Dhabi. Its technicians hold qualifications from the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), with practical exercises reinforcing technical standards and readiness for demanding local conditions.

Technology is adding another dimension. Through its collaboration with SRJ Technologies Group, Divetech is developing the use of drones and remotely operated systems for inspection. These tools can gather visual information from locations where direct personnel access may be difficult, helping teams assess conditions and plan subsequent work with greater insight.

Remote inspection complements rather than replaces specialist expertise. By combining technology with the experience of diving, rope access and inspection teams, Divetech can help asset owners gather information, assess potential concerns and determine the most appropriate next steps.

By bringing together multiple access disciplines and technology-enabled inspection, Divetech offers asset owners greater flexibility in matching the method to the environment. The result is an approach that can support safer, more informed and more efficient inspection and maintenance across critical infrastructure.

Interested in finding out more? Visit the Noatum Maritime Stand #15150 in the Maritime & Logistics Zone at ADIPEC, taking place from 2-5 November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). 

The agreements will expand the chemicals ecosystem. (Image source: ADNOC)

Petrochemicals

TA’ZIZ, a joint venture between ADNOC and ADQ, has signed long-term agreements spanning offtake, feedstock and sales across its chemicals portfolio, valued at US$28.5bn (AED104.6bn)

Signed at the Make it in the Emirates Forum, the agreements, valued at US$28.5bn, secure both global offtake and reliable local feedstocks, allowing for large-scale chemical production within the UAE and reinforcing TA’ZIZ’s role in building a fully integrated domestic chemicals ecosystem. The deals include sale agreements with ADNOC and Proman for methanol; Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for caustic soda; Mitsubishi Corporation for ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and caustic soda; Mitsui & Co. for EDC and caustic soda; Sanmar Group for EDC and VCM; Tricon for PVC, EDC and caustic soda; and Vinmar for EDC and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

ADNOC Gas secured a 25-year feedstock agreement to supply natural gas to the TA'ZIZ methanol project valued at over $5 billion (AED18.4 billion). TA’ZIZ also agreed a 20 year salt supply agreement with Abu Dhabi based Sama Salt to support production at its PVC complex.

Mashal Saoud Al-Kindi, CEO of TA’ZIZ, said, “These long term agreements represent a defining milestone for TA’ZIZ and for the UAE’s industrial growth ambitions. By securing both global demand and reliable local feedstock, we are translating vision into delivery, anchoring world scale chemicals production, strengthening domestic value chains and creating enduring economic value, jobs and supply chain resilience for the UAE.”

Together, these agreements leverage local resources to secure a reliable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, further strengthening domestic value chains and advancing the UAE’s industrial self sufficiency.

TA’ZIZ is a manufacturing, industrial services, logistics and utilities ecosystem that enables the production of transition fuels and new products across the chemicals value chain, supporting ADNOC’s ambition to become a top three global chemicals player as well as the UAE’s industrial development and economic diversification ambitions.

The TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone is set to produce 4.7 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of chemicals once construction is completed in 2028. This includes a 1 mtpa ammonia plant, a 1.8 mtpa methanol plant and 1.9 mtpa of marketable products from its integrated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) complex. The PVC complex, which produces PVC, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and caustic soda, will be one of the world’s top three largest single site PVC complexes.

Also at the Make it at the Emirates Forum, TA’ZIZ and Alpha Dhabi Holding announced a strategic collaboration agreement for around US$10 bn (AED36.7bn) in capital investment in new industrial chemicals in the TA’ZIZ industrial chemicals ecosystem in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.

The partnership could produce up to 14 new chemicals, delivering around 2.2mn tonnes per annum (mtpa) of additional chemical capacity in the TA’ZIZ industrial chemicals ecosystem in Al Ruwais Industrial City. The new chemicals, which include styrene and polystyrenes, acrylic acid and derivates, polyols, MDI, epoxy resins and linear alpha-olefins, are based on domestic demand and could substitute key products currently imported into the UAE, while strengthening local supply chain resilience. The partnership supports the UAE’s national industrial priorities, including the Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) initiative and the country’s industrial strategy, by strengthening domestic manufacturing capability and advancing self-sufficiency in strategically important chemical products.

The report highlights the evolution of AI in the energy sector

Technology

AI investment and adoption are accelerating across the energy industry as leaders increasingly recognise the potential for it to strengthen energy reliability and resilience in the current volatile environment, according to the third annual Powering Possible report from ADNOC, XRG and Microsoft

The report, entitled Energy Resilience in the Intelligence Era, highlights a significant shift from AI ambition to implementation, with AI delivering growing financial returns as well as creating new infrastructure challenges.

Key findings

• AI becomes a top corporate priority: 62% of energy leaders now rank AI among their top two priorities, up from 42% in 2025, while 89% report increased investment over the past year
• AI investments begin to deliver returns: 63% expect returns on existing investments to cover or exceed costs, rising to 89% for future investments
• Energy demand creates new infrastructure challenges: 74% expect AI to increase energy consumption by 2030, yet only 52% are confident existing infrastructure can meet AI-driven electricity demand – unchanged from 2025. Grid modernisation and smart-grid technologies are the leading investment priority for supporting AI growth, cited by 67% of respondents, followed by energy storage at 42%.
• Importance of energy reliability rises as a measure of AI value: 39% identify supply stability and reliability as AI's most important contribution, up from 26% in 2025, reflecting the current supply volatility. While the share giving cost savings as AI's leading contribution fell from 19% to 13%.
• AI has the potential to accelerate sustainable energy production: 71% of energy leaders expect AI to increase the speed at which the energy sector becomes more sustainable, alongside growing expectations that AI can strengthen resilience, efficiency and the ability to meet rising energy demand. 57% of respondents identify the optimisation of power flows, dispatch and balancing as the area where AI could make the greatest contribution to the energy transition.
• AI moves into everyday operations: The share of organisations deploying integrated agentic AI workflows more than doubled from 15% to 33%, while 60% are piloting or deploying robotics in physical operations, from inspecting infrastructure to performing hazardous tasks.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, ADNOC managing director and Group CEO and executive chairman of XRG said: “AI is creating significant new opportunities for the energy industry to drive greater value, strengthen resilience and improve safety and reliability. At ADNOC, we are embedding AI, robotics and advanced technology across our operations to optimize every barrel, every molecule and every megawatt we produce. As AI scales, energy and technology must advance together.”

Brad Smith, vice chair and president, Microsoft, added, “As AI becomes embedded in the sectors that underpin the global economy, the measure of progress will not be adoption alone, but whether it delivers lasting value while earning public trust. In the energy sector, where reliability and security are fundamental, that requires strong governance, clear accountability and sustained investment in people and skills. Innovation at scale must be matched by responsibility at the same scale.”

The findings underline the need for investment in energy and digital infrastructure to advance together, backed by strong cybersecurity, trusted AI-ready data, common standards, sound governance and a skilled workforce, so AI can be deployed safely and reliably at scale.

Powering Possible 2026 is being published ahead of the fourth ENACT Majlis in Abu Dhabi and ADIPEC 2026 and is based on a survey of almost 400 senior energy and finance leaders.

The webinar will address the risks and realities of dissimilar flange connections. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Webinar

Oil Review Middle East is hosting an exclusive webinar by GPT Industries on Dissimilar Flange Connections: Corrosion Risks, Misconceptions, and Practical Solutions, on Thursday 18 June at 9.30am GST

Dissimilar flange connections are widely used across industries, yet they remain a misunderstood and underestimated source of corrosion risk, operational failure, and unexpected cost. This webinar will explore why these connections exist, how they behave in real-world environments, and the critical factors that influence their performance. It will provide practical insight into the risks and realities of dissimilar flange connections, with a focus on corrosion mechanisms, common misconceptions, and effective mitigation strategies to improve reliability and reduce long-term costs.

The session will cover:
✔️ Understanding galvanic corrosion in dissimilar flanges
✔️ The dangers of localised corrosion and its impact on asset reliability
✔️ Common misconceptions around cladding and sealing methods
✔️ Available mitigation strategies, including coatings, bolting practices, and flange isolation kits
✔️ How to apply practical decision-making frameworks based on risk, environment, and lifecycle cost considerations

Register here

GPT Industries is a leading global manufacturer of critical pipeline sealing and electrical isolation products to protect the world’s pipelines, people and environment. With a focus on safety, performance and reliability, the company employs advanced engineering and manufacturing processes to meet the challenging demands of the oil and gas, water/wastewater, hydrogen and construction and infrastructure industries.

Expert presenters will be Rebecca ZImbra – product engineer, GPT Industries, metallurgical/materials engineer with industry, management, and research and development experience and expertise in materials testing, cathodic protection, failure analysis, and weld inspection; and Nick Bander, director – Engineering and Product Management at GPT Industries, an experienced technical team manager with a focus on manufacturing, pipeline corrosion mitigation, oil and gas, energy, and water/wastewater industries, and expertise in team/people development, product application, product design, pipeline, sealing, corrosion, and cathodic protection.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain exclusive practical insights into corrosion risks, mitigation strategies, and decision-making approaches for dissimilar flange connections!
Register here

the crisis and the increased focus on energy security are renewing interest in hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Energy Transition

The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global production and trade in hydrogen-based products such as fertilisers, fuels and industrial feedstocks, exposing vulnerabilities in supply chains, according to the latest edition of the IEA’s Global Hydrogen Review

The report finds that the crisis and the increased focus on energy security are renewing interest in hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, although low-emissions hydrogen remains at a relatively small scale.

Demand for hydrogen worldwide surpassed 100 million tonnes in 2025, according to the report, while production of low-emissions hydrogen grew by 20% to almost 1 million tonnes. However, persistent barriers including high costs, uncertain demand, complex regulations and a lack of infrastructure continue to slow the development of low-emissions hydrogen, putting 2030 targets announced by governments increasingly out of reach.

"The current crisis has highlighted how deeply economies around the world depend on trade in hydrogen-based products and the significant role of the Middle East in those supply chains," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. "Countries are looking for ways to make their energy systems more resilient and diversified. Low-emissions hydrogen can play an important role in those efforts over time, but stronger policy support and much faster deployment will be needed before it can make a meaningful contribution at scale."

Fertiliser markets have been particularly affected by the conflict in the Middle East, which is home to around one-sixth of global hydrogen production, the majority dedicated to the production of chemicals, fertilisers and refined oil products. The region accounts for more than 10% of global refining capacity, ammonia and urea production, and close to 17% of methanol production.

The region makes up over one-quarter of global trade in ammonia, almost 40% of urea trade and almost 45% of methanol trade, and one-third of its refining capacity is export-oriented. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has severely disrupted the supply of all these products. The production of hydrogen-based fuels outside the Middle East has also been affected, particularly in Asia, where countries are very dependent on natural gas imports from the Middle East.

Disruptions to production, exports and shipping routes have contributed to shortages and price volatility across global markets with the increase in fertiliser costs posing risks for food supply chains, especially in import-dependent agricultural economies.

Low-emissions hydrogen

Low-emissions hydrogen production grew by 20% in 2025 to reach almost 1 Mt and is set to exceed 1% of global hydrogen production for the first time, but progress is concentrated in a small number of projects. However investment momentum weakened in 2025, with delays to final investment decisions and a shrinking pipeline of projects highlighting the challenges facing the sector.

Despite continued policy support in some markets, low-emissions hydrogen and hydrogen-based products remain significantly more expensive than conventional alternatives in most markets. The pipeline of announced projects for producing low-emissions hydrogen by 2030 has shrunk by around a quarter since last year to 27 million tonnes due to delays and cancellations, and the number of projects likely to become operational by 2030 has fallen significantly.

Demand uncertainty remains a key constraint for scaling up low-emissions hydrogen development, with offtake agreements at low level. This is cited by developers as one of the largest barriers to investment.