Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and TOTAL have announced the delivery of the first unconventional gas from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession, located 200 kilometers to the west of Abu Dhabi delivered the new gas, two years after the signing of the unconventional gas concession agreement between ADNOC and TOTAL.
The achievement marks a significant step towards ADNOC’s target of producing 1 billion standard cubic feet (scfd) of gas before 2030, and making the UAE self-sufficient.
The production milestone also marks the first time, that an unconventional gas development in the Middle East has delivered gas to the pipeline so early, in the project timeline. The gas is delivered through a purpose-built gas pipeline and a centralised early production facility in the Diyab field, which enables distribution through ADNOC’s gas network.
The Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession's strategic location near ADNOC’s Ruwais industrial area near the market and ADNOC's expanisve infrastructure, helped the project operate smoothly.
The achievement further builds on ADNOC’s efforts to de-risk unconventional gas resources across Abu Dhabi since 2016.
Only last year, Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) announced the discovery of 160 trillion scf of unconventional gas resources all across the UAE.
An efficient collaboration between ADNOC and TOTAL resulted in the quick exploration of the unconventional gas resources and tailoring the operations UAE's shale play type.
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 optimisation 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.”
ADNOC signed an agreement with TOTAL in November 2018 and granted it a 40% stake in the Ruwais Diyab Unconventional Gas Concession. The agreement allowed TOTAL to explore and develop the concession area’s unconventional gas resources.
Meanwhile, ADNOC will continue to unlock gas resources from its Ghasha concession as well as Abu Dhabi’s giant gas caps, and some new natural gas accumulations.
