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In a major move to advance its integrated global gas growth strategy, ADNOC has taken final investment decision (FID) for the Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Development during ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi

Unlocking a new source of energy, the project is set to generate 345 mn standard cu/ft per day of raw gas starting 2029. This will have the the domestic as well as international markets covered, not only for more than a 25-year period but also ensuring a future capacity of up to 1 bn standard cu/ft per day. 

After processed on site, the gas will be channelised through new pipeline infrastructure to take over UAE's gas network. Once supply begins, it will significantly add to the nation’s economic and industrial growth while also fulfilling ADNOC’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export ambitions.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said, “Ruwais Diyab is ADNOC’s first large-scale unconventional gas development and this FID marks an important milestone in unlocking Abu Dhabi’s vast gas resources. This investment will strengthen the UAE’s energy security, support industrial growth and advance ADNOC’s integrated global gas growth strategy to responsibly meet rising demand at home and abroad.”

The development will be a new addition to UAE's gas reserves, which is known to be the seventh-largest in the world at 298 trillion standard cu/ft of conventional gas reserves and 160 trillion standard cu/ft of unconventional gas resources. The Ruwais FID comes at a time when global demand for reliable, lower-carbon energy continues to grow. This strategic decision will help ADNOC expand its LNG portfolio.

Ruwais Diyab’s additional unconventional gas supply will strengthen ADNOC’s gas value chain, including ADNOC Gas’s ability to meet rising domestic and international customer demand.

Ruwais Diyab advances ADNOC’s ambition to establish a scalable unconventional gas business and create a platform for future growth. The development follows a disciplined program of technical studies, field testing and subsurface analysis, delivered by ADNOC Onshore under a design-build-operate (DBO) model, to reduce development risk. It brings together advanced subsurface expertise, AI-enabled drilling and completion technologies, and integrated project delivery capabilities to support the efficient and responsible development of domestic gas resources.

In an exclusive interview with Oil Review Middle East, Belgacem Merad, senior vice president for the Middle East and North Africa at Weatherford, discusses how the company is expanding its focus in the Middle East on regional manufacturing, unconventional resources and digital technology as producers navigate supply disruptions

Speaking on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi, Merad said that the company is prioritising local talent, manufacturing and artificial intelligence to strengthen its Middle East operations as geopolitical tensions put renewed pressure on global energy supply chains.

The region's extensive production infrastructure, export capabilities and alternative transportation routes would remain critical to global energy security despite ongoing disruptions.

Merad expressed confidence in the region's ability to maintain its position as a dependable energy supplier, pointing to its diverse hydrocarbon resources, established infrastructure and growing investment in technology.

The Middle East's ability to produce, transport and export energy through different routes gives it a strategic advantage, he said, particularly as producers look to improve the resilience and flexibility of their operations.

Beyond its conventional oil and gas resources, the region has also invested in lower-carbon energy initiatives and technologies designed to improve operational efficiency.

AI is emerging as another important tool for producers seeking to strengthen reliability, reduce costs and improve safety across increasingly complex operations.

Merad said the region's long-term outlook remained positive despite the challenges facing the energy industry, with recent disruptions reinforcing the importance of investment in resilient infrastructure and supply chains.

Local talent drives growth

For Weatherford, expanding its regional business is closely tied to developing local expertise and increasing manufacturing capabilities in the markets where it operates.

Merad identified investment in local talent as his leading priority, highlighting the growing number of graduates entering the energy industry and progressing into technical and operational leadership positions. The company is seeking to deepen its engagement with universities and attract skilled graduates earlier in their careers, while developing the next generation of industry leaders.

Localisation, he argued, is not simply about meeting national employment targets but about building a more competitive and sustainable business.

"It makes sense economically to hire from where we operate," Merad said.

Employing local professionals also improves operational continuity, strengthens relationships with customers and gives Weatherford a better understanding of the requirements of individual markets. These advantages become particularly important during periods of disruption, when companies need to maintain operations without relying excessively on international personnel or supply chains.

The company is also investing in regional manufacturing and partnerships to increase local content and strengthen supply security. In the UAE, Weatherford operates a manufacturing centre that exports products to more than 40 countries, demonstrating how regional facilities can serve both domestic and international markets.

Merad said the objective was to combine manufacturing in the UAE with the development of local expertise and export capabilities, creating a regional industrial base that supports Weatherford's global operations. The strategy also aligns with government efforts across the Gulf to expand domestic industrial capacity, develop technical skills and increase the economic contribution of the energy sector.

Unconventional resources offer opportunities

Weatherford also sees significant opportunities in the development of unconventional oil and gas resources, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Merad said the company's acquisition of NCS Multistage was designed to strengthen its well completion and stimulation capabilities, adding technologies that can improve reservoir performance and production efficiency. The acquisition expands Weatherford's capabilities in multistage completions, stimulation technologies and reservoir diagnostics.

Combining these technologies with its existing portfolio will allow the company to better identify productive sections of wells, understand communication between wells and distinguish areas producing oil from those producing water.

These capabilities are particularly relevant to unconventional developments, where operators require more precise reservoir management and increasingly sophisticated completion techniques.

Merad described unconventional resources as "a big growth vector in the region here."

The acquisition is expected to strengthen Weatherford's position in both the Middle East and international markets as producers seek to maximise recovery and improve the economics of complex reservoirs.

AI to improve efficiency and safety

Digitalisation represents another major opportunity for Weatherford as energy companies seek to extract greater value from operational data.

Merad said the industry generates enormous volumes of information from downhole equipment, drilling operations and surface facilities, but much of it remains underutilised. He estimated that only a fraction of the available data is currently being used, leaving significant scope for improvements in productivity, equipment reliability and operational safety.

Weatherford is deploying automation technologies designed to reduce the number of personnel required on drilling rigs while enabling specialists to monitor equipment remotely. One example involves automating equipment used during drilling operations, reducing human exposure to potentially hazardous environments.

The company is also using predictive analytics to anticipate equipment failures, particularly in artificial lift systems, allowing operators to plan maintenance before disruptions occur. Better forecasting can help extend equipment life, minimise downtime and improve the scheduling of drilling and intervention rigs, which often need to be booked months in advance.

Merad said integrating data across drilling, completion and production activities could deliver substantial efficiency gains by improving coordination between different stages of operations.

For Weatherford, however, the broader objective extends beyond introducing new technologies. The company wants to position itself as a long-term strategic partner capable of addressing customers' operational challenges, rather than simply supplying equipment and services.

Merad said solutions must be tailored to the specific needs of each customer, whether through technology, products, services or a combination of capabilities. The ultimate goal, he added, is to help producers lower their overall cost per barrel while maintaining safe, efficient and reliable operations.

At the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference (MPGC) held in London, Musaab Al Mulla, Aramco's vice president of market analysis and sustainability, underlined the need for the recognition of the role refined products play in resilient energy systems, which has been brought into sharp focus in the current crisis

Al Mulla highlighted the need for a realistic approach to the role of oil and gas as the engine for economic growth and the impact of the crisis on products ranging from helium to materials and fertilisers, with shortages of the latter in turn impacting food supply.

A common theme of the event was the need for resilience and redundancy in the energy system to be able to weather such crises. Al Mulla highlighted Aramco’s focus on long-term strategic planning and investment for the future, as exemplified by its investment in the east-west pipeline which is now not only transporting crude but also products, building flexibility into the system, transporting crude to refineries for export and ensuring refined products get to market.

“The world has realised the need for more investment in pipeline infrastructure and domestic refining to ensure industry is working together,” he said.

He remarked that the crisis has demonstrated demand is resilient and has exposed the underinvestment in refineries, with capital flows being redirected towards the energy transition and resulting in a deficit of 3mn bpd.

“We need to build refineries and infrastructure while also reducing emissions,” he said, noting that Aramco has one of the lowest emissions intensities.

Discussing demand for refined products, he noted that demand for jet fuel continues to grow and refinery utilisation is at record rates.

“We believe demand will continue to be resilient, and low carbon products will be important as well,” he said.

He foresaw strong growth in chemicals with the market for durable materials growing in multiple sectors, noting that carbon-based materials can help reduce emissions. Replacing steel with polypropylene in cars can reduce emissions by 80%, for example. He also highlighted growth in demand for low carbon aviation fuel (lcaf), fossil-based jet fuel, which is 10% lower in emissions than conventional jet fuel, and complements sustainable aviation fuel (saf) as it addresses some of its limitations.

Highlighting the continuing long-term strategic importance of refining, he stressed that gasolene will still account for a significant proportion of transportation fuel by 2050.

With resilience, reliability and sustainability being global challenges, Al Mulla said that resilience for Aramco means building on operational excellence, long-term investment in oil and gas, new energies and low carbon, and localisation, noting Aramco’s 70% localisation target to ensure a resilient supply chain.

“Resilience is correlated with sustainability, you can’t be sustainable if you are not resilient,” he said. It involves not only having the flexibility to be able to adapt to shocks, but also having the capacity to innovate and grow supply while also reducing emissions, he added.

Commenting on the Middle East’s attractiveness as an investment destination, he said, “Clearly the region remains the hub for oil and gas petrochemicals and refining, and it has shown its infrastructure and energy system have been resilient in this historic crisis.”

He said Aramco is also looking at other regions, and urged the need for more investor-friendly policies in Europe, where there is a need for more domestic refining and chemicals so as not to be dependent on other regions.

Discussing the role of gas, Al Mulla said there will be increasing demand to fulfil the growing demand for power from data centres, highlighting the move towards regional data centres.

UK-based pipeline pigging specialist iNPIPE PRODUCTS has launched its new non-intrusive Mag-TRAX Magnetic Pig Signaller, which enables operators to detect and monitor the passage of pigs without cutting into or welding equipment onto pipelines

What is a pipeline pig?

Pipeline pigs play an important role in pipeline maintenance and inspection. A pipeline pig is a self-contained device that travels inside a pipeline, driven by differential pressure or flow, to perform mechanical tasks such as cleaning, separating, or inspection. Intelligent pigs provide data. These are equipped with sensors and onboard electronics to measure wall thickness, detect metal loss and corrosion, and record defects

What is a pig signaller?

The pig signaller, also known as a pig detector, is a device installed on a pipeline to detect the movement of the pig. used to indicate the pig has left the launcher, arrived in a receiver or passed a certain point in the pipeline. PIg signallers can be:
• Intrusive pig signallers: These feature a mechanical probe or trigger that extends directly into the interior of the pipeline.
• Non-intrusive pig signallers: These are mounted on the outside wall of the pipeline without piercing or opening the pipe, using external sensing technologies to detect the pig.

What does the Mag-TRAX Magnetic Pig Signaller do?

inPIPE’s non-intrusive Mag-TRAX Magnetic Pig Signaller is clamped to the pipe externally and detects the magnetic field generated by a pig as it passes. It can be quickly installed, removed, and repositioned, making it particularly suited to contractors moving between pipeline projects.

The technology can be used across the pipeline sector, including liquid and gas pipeline applications, where pigs are routinely used for cleaning, maintenance, and inspection.
Suitable for pipelines from two to 72 inches in diameter, it uses digital signal processing to distinguish a passing pig from background interference and can detect through carbon steel, stainless steel, and specialist alloys up to 60mm thick.

When multiple units are integrated with iNPIPE’s Phoenix Debris Mapping Tool, operators can monitor its progress and ensure it is travelling at the optimum speed.
The new technology complements iNPIPE’s established intrusive pig signallers, which are welded to pipelines and use a mechanical trigger activated as a pig passes. Together, they form part of the company’s wider range of pipeline pigging, maintenance, isolation, and testing equipment supplied to customers worldwide.

Managing director Simon Bell said, “Mechanical pig signallers have been part of the industry for decades and our intrusive signallers continue to be widely used and specified because they’re proven, reliable and effective.

“Some projects require a signaller that operators or contractors can install quickly, without welding or penetrating the pipeline.

“Mag-TRAX offers that flexibility, while its digital capabilities provide operators with precise data. It can self-calibrate and remotely triggered, making it particularly useful where information needs to be fed back to a control room, as well as monitored directly in the field.”

He added that the initial response has been very encouraging, with customers ordering multiple units, including an oil and gas company in South America.

Available as a portable battery-powered unit or permanent 24V DC version, the bidirectional Mag-TRAX can store up to 99 time-stamped events of passage, with data viewed on its LCD display, downloaded to a PC, or transmitted to a SCADA control system.

Working in confined spaces is by nature hazardous, with potential dangers ranging from reduced oxygen levels and the presence of toxic gases to risk of explosions and access difficulties

Confined spaces can present complex and changing risks. Even when a space is considered safe during the initial assessment, atmospheric conditions, work activities and operational factors can introduce new hazards once work begins.

How can you ensure worker safety when confined space conditions change after entry? And are your teams fully prepared to manage evolving hazards and respond effectively in an emergency?

Practical webinar

Join HSE Review and MSA Safety on Tuesday 17 November at 2pm GST for a practical webinar on 'Managing changing confined space risks: from entry to rescue', exploring how organisations can manage confined space risks throughout the entire confined space safety cycle, from hazard assessment and entry preparation through worker protection, ongoing monitoring, rescue readiness and safe exit. Using practical scenarios and drawing on industry best practices, the session will examine how changing conditions can affect space safety, why continuous risks awareness is essential, and how organisations can strengthen their procedures to protect workers at every stage.

What you'll learn

• Understand how confined space risks can evolve before, during and after entry
• Explore the confined space safety cycle, from initial assessment to safe exit
• Identify atmospheric, physical and operational hazards that can affect worker safety
• Discover practical readiness checks to strengthen confined space risk management
• Learn how proactive risk awareness and behavioural change can build a stronger safety culture

Expert speakers

• Rim Abou Chahine, EMEA segment marketing manager, MSA Safety
• Edward Clapham, segment marketing manager, portable gas detection from MSA Safety

Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to gain valuable insights into managing confined space hazards and ensuring workers are protected from entry through to rescue.

Register now: https://alaincharlestraining.com/webinar2/msa-safety-managing-changing-confined-space-risks-from-entry-to-rescue

The disruption to energy supply through the Strait of Hormuz is spurring governments to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas, according to the tenth edition of DNV's Energy Transition Outlook

Energy-importing countries are scaling clean energy three times faster than energy exporters, as governments seek to reduce reliance on imported oil and gas by expanding domestically produced power.

At the same time, exporting countries outside the Middle East are increasing production to compensate for disrupted supplies, and decarbonising more slowly compared to the rest of the world.

China, India, and Europe have collectively shifted towards non-fossil energy more than three times as fast as the Middle East, North America, and Russia.

Prolonged conflict would permanently reduce fossil-fuel demand

The disruption to the Strait of Hormuz has strengthened incentives for importing countries to diversify supply and reduce their exposure to oil and gas, increasing the long-term risks facing fossil-fuel exporters. DNV’s new forecast sees the Middle East supplying around 40% of global oil production in 2050, compared with 50% in last year’s Outlook.

“Energy security is redrawing the map of the energy transition,” said Ditlev Engel, CEO - Energy Systems at DNV. “Importing regions are accelerating electrification, renewables, and storage to reduce their exposure to the most insecure fossil-fuel markets. Exporters, meanwhile, are responding to today’s shortages by increasing investments and production. The result is a widening divide in the speed and direction of the transition.”

Technology gap widening

The gap is widening between competitive mature technologies and emerging technologies with falling costs accelerating the deployment of solar power, onshore wind, and batteries, while more expensive emerging technologies are losing ground. Solar PV and onshore wind are increasingly displacing fossil fuels from power generation, and installed battery capacity has increased 14-fold over the past five years.

However, technologies essential to decarbonising the hard-to-electrify sectors, such as hydrogen and carbon capture, are falling back due to their high cost and concerns about industrial competitiveness. Stronger policy support will be needed to bridge the cost gap and accelerate deployment.

DNV forecasts that nuclear will maintain its current share of global power generation as electrification accelerates. Installed nuclear capacity is expected to grow by 30% over the next decade and by 170% by 2060, despite high costs and supply-chain risks.

“Driven by solar, wind, and increasingly battery storage, electricity is emerging as the clear winner of the energy transition,” said Sverre Alvik, Director of Energy Transition Research at DNV. “The pace of electrification over the next two decades will be more than twice that of the past two decades. Although importing countries are leading the shift, fossil-fuel exporters are also embracing electrification because it delivers greater efficiency and lower costs.”

AI is significantly boosting electricity demand. DNV forecasts that global data centre electricity consumption will almost triple from around 400 TWh in 2025 to 1,100 TWh in 2030, with growth concentrated initially in North America.

MENA region key takeaways

• The Middle East and North Africa is balancing energy security and transition goals, maintaining oil and gas exports while scaling renewable and low-carbon energy investments.
• Solar is becoming a key growth driver, supported by abundant resources, cost competitiveness, and strong government backing.
• Power demand will grow substantially, driven by economic expansion, electrification, cooling, desalination, and hydrogen production.
• GCC countries are reducing the carbon intensity of hydrocarbons, focusing on electrification, methane reduction, efficiency improvements, and carbon capture.
• Hydrogen is emerging as a major export opportunity, leveraging the region’s energy resources and infrastructure.
• Climate resilience is becoming a business imperative, as heat, water scarcity, and other climate risks increasingly impact economic growth and operations.