Middle East NOCs are proving resilient. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

A new whitepaper from Rystad Energy highlights the plans of the Middle East NOCs to ramp up production and upstream investments, as well as their resilience in the energy transition and different oil demand scenarios

In the NOC/INOC Corporate Strategy Benchmarking whitepaper, Volume 1: Oil & Gas, Rystad Energy notes that Aramco, with its focus on enhancing production at mature oilfields and ramping up gas production, will continue to see upstream investments rise, recording capex of US$29bn in the first nine months of 2024 alone. Rystad forecasts QatarEnergy will invest between US$14-15bn per year over the next few years as it continues to invest heavily in the North Field gas field and expanding LNG capacity, while ADNOC’s expenditure, which reached US$5.7bn last year, is forecast to increase given its target of 5mn bpd production capacity by 2027. The Hail & Ghasha offshore development project, which is set to produce more than 1.5bn standard cubic feet per day (bscfd) of gas before the end of the decade, and the Ruwais LNG project are key ADNOC focuses.

Rystad notes the resilience of the Middle East NOCs in different energy demand scenarios, particularly given their focus on LNG, a key energy transition fuel. It adds that Aramco and ADNOC’s low-cost portfolio and short-cycle return on investments are key factors ensuring their competitiveness.

QatarEnergy is heavily expanding its LNG production, with an eye on longterm demand from Asia, and is forecast to operate nearly 120mn tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG capacity by 2035, with its North Field projects targeting 126 Mtpa by 2027. Qatar could account for 20% of global supply after 2030, Rystad predicts, with continuing incremental expansion, its low breakeven and existing infrastructure ensuring dominance in the LNG market.

ADNOC's LNG capacity is set to expand significantly with the Ruwais LNG project (9.6 Mtpa) starting up by 2028, which will more than double ADNOC's current LNG production capacity, while Aramco has acquired a 49% stake in LNG-focused MidOcean, which has interests in a portfolio of Australian integrated LNG projects, and a 35% stake in Peru LNG.

The whitepaper also notes the focus of the Middle East NOCs on international expansion, with QatarEnergy acquiring multiple blocks in Namibia’s Orange Basin from TotalEnergies and Chevron, and exploration assets in Egypt from Chevron and ExxonMobil; and ADNOC acquiring gas and LNG assets in Africa and the Caucasus, including a 10% stake in Mozambique LNG, and a 30% stake in Azerbaijan’s Absheron gas field from Socar and TotalEnergies. While Aramco has expanded its international LNG portfolio, with its stake in MidOcean as well as acquiring a 25% stake in Port Arthur LNG in the US from Sempra.

The company will provide leak testing and flange management services for the Al-Shaheen oilfield, offshore Qatar. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Mechanical services company EnerMech has secured a five-year contract extension to provide Qatar’s North Oil Company (NOC) with leak testing and flange management services, for the Al Shaheen oilfield, Qatar’s largest oilfield and one of the world’s largest in the world in terms of oil in place

The contract covers a range of services, including bolt tensioning and torquing, pipe freezing and training.

The company says its strong relationship with NOC, going back to 2017, was a key factor in retaining the contract, along with its record of past performance, knowledge of NOC’s assets and availability of resource within the country.

EnerMech, which has a presence in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq and Oman, sees attractive growth prospects in Qatar and the wider Middle East.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Davison Jr., EnerMech CEO, said, “By securing an extension to an already long-term project is testament to the commitment, hard work and professionalism of the Qatar team. I would like to commend Sean Lawless, country manager for Qatar for establishing EnerMech as a leading provider of leak testing and flange management services in the region, which puts us in a position to continue the evolution of EnerMech in the Gulf.”

Dan Collins, regional director, AMEC, said, “This arrangement is an important scope of work for EnerMech and highlights our expertise and depth of knowledge in the market. As 2025 progresses, we are eager to build on our strong footing in Qatar and continue to work with our clients to provide the best-in-class provisions.”

The Al Shaheen oilfield is a production field off the north-east coast of Qatar, 80 km north of the capital, Doha. The field is operated by North Oil Company, a joint venture between QatarEnergy (70%) and TotalEnergies (30%). In early 2024, QatarEnergy awarded four Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) contracts worth more than US$6bn for the next development phase of the Al-Shaheen field, which will increase production by around 100,000bpd, as part of Project Ru’ya, which will develop more than 550mn bbl of oil and will be executed over a period of five years, with first oil expected in 2027. The project includes the drilling of more than 200 wells and the installation of a new centralised process complex, nine remote wellhead platforms, and associated pipelines.

TWMA will provide waste management services from its Alexandria waste management facility. (Image source: TWMA)

Drilling waste management specialist, TWMA, has partnered with a multinational energy operator to provide waste management services for an exploration project in the Mediterranean sea, offshore Egypt.

Under the two-year contract, TWMA will provide comprehensive onshore waste management services from its Alexandria waste processing facility and recently opened offices in Cairo. The scope of work includes the management, transportation, treatment, and disposal of all waste streams including drill cuttings, and features oil recovery through TWMA’s RotoMill technology. It also involves tank cleaning and other cargo carrying units for supply vessels.

The project aligns with the Egyptian government’s vision to enhance natural gas supplies to meet increasing local domestic and industrial demand, expanding export capabilities and the Egyptian economy on a wider scale.

The collaboration could also lead to future initiatives between TWMA and the operator, with potential opportunities for offshore processing of drilling waste and other high-potential projects.

This contract follows TWMA’s recent US$70mn contract win in the Middle East with a leading UAE operator, as the company seeks to expand its operations across the Middle East and North Africa region.

TWMA’s CEO Halle Aslaksen said, “We’re thrilled to embark on this collaboration and contribute to the economic and industrial development of Egypt’s energy sector. TWMA looks forward to a successful partnership that will pave the way for future opportunities in Egypt and across the region. We have worked in collaboration with this operator for over 20 years through various successful projects, and we look forward to continuing this trusted relationship as we embark on our first exploration project in Egypt.”

The technology can be used to complete complex, high-value new and workover wells. (Image source: Viking Completion Technology)

Dubai-based Viking Completion Technology is expanding its operations in Saudi Arabia following successful results from trial projects

The provider of well completion equipment and services deployed its well completion design, manufacturing, and service expertise for five projects across the Kingdom between September 2023 and November 2024. Three have now progressed to commercial deployment, while the remaining two are due to reach the end of the trial period in March of this year.

For the trials, Viking supplied a variety of its API-certified technologies for high-pressure deep gas wells, including production packers, completion accessories, and a long string corrosion remediation solution for cemented completions, with further trials scheduled for its API 14A validated sub surface safety systems. These trials have enhanced the availability of the technology required to complete complex, high-value new and workover wells to support the region’s energy infrastructure.

Viking, which made the decision to establish a presence in Saudi Arabia in 2021, is now looking to expand its operations within the Kingdom, to include the formation of an in-country manufacturing facility where it is looking to manufacture its entire portfolio of completion equipment, for use in the Kingdom as well as for export to operators worldwide.

Willie Morrison, managing director at Viking, commented, “The five trials completed over the 14-month period have been a massive step in the right direction for us and will be monumental in our long-term goals in the Kingdom. Throughout 2025 and beyond, we can point to the successful integration of our technology in these trials as we continue to grow and support Saudi Arabia’s exciting future."

Alongside its success in the Middle East, Viking has been involved in milestone projects in Europe, South America, and Africa. Formed in 1997 and based in the Jebel Ali Freezone, in Dubai, the company has delivered high specification completion equipment to customers in the UAE, GCC and around the world, for 25 years.