ADNOC Drilling awarded further rig supply contract

ADNOC Drilling has been awarded a contract from ADNOC Offshore for a further three AI-enabled island rigs destined for the offshore Zakum development project, supporting ADNOC’s target to expand oil production capacity to 5mn bpd per day by 2027

The contract award, worth US$806mn, follows three rigs ordered in July 2024, with more than 151 rigs aimed for by 2028.

The three new rigs will operate on ADNOC’s artificial islands, which are home to the world’s five longest wells, including a 53,000 ft record-breaking well. Set to join the fleet between 2027 and 2028, they will be developed through a collaboration between ADNOC Drilling and Honghua Group (HH) which will see AI, advanced digitalisation and real-time analytics embedded into rig design and operations.

Leveraging real-time condition monitoring, performance optimisation and predictive analytics, the island rigs will generate actionable insights to facilitate improved operational efficiency, well delivery times and safety. The rigs will be optimised for extended reach drilling (ERD) and equipped with state-of-the-art walking capabilities to enable them to move between well slots without the need for rig dismantling, thereby improving uptime, reducing emissions and lowering operating costs.

Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Seiari, ADNOC Drilling CEO, said, “ADNOC Drilling is proud to be awarded this significant, long-term contract, marking another major milestone in our accelerated growth journey. These next generation island rigs, built with embedded artificial intelligence (AI), represent a leap forward in technology, enhancing safety, efficiency and performance. This award strengthens our position as a critical enabler of ADNOC’s production capacity targets, while delivering sustainable, high-quality returns for our shareholders well into 2038 and beyond.”

Tayba Abdul Rahim Al Hashemi, chief executive officer of ADNOC Offshore, added, “We are focused on unlocking maximum value from the resources in Abu Dhabi’s waters in the most efficient and innovative ways possible. These advanced island rigs delivered by ADNOC Drilling will play a vital role in achieving our production capacity goals and meeting global energy demand. Together, we are pushing the boundaries of technology, operational excellence and partnership to power sustainable growth.”