BP has been excluded from the pre-qualification bidding process to develop Abu Dhabis largest onshore oil fields for which the concession is due to expire in 2014
BP has been operating in the United Arab Emirates since 1931, however, it did not receive a three-page letter inviting companies to submit applications to bid for acreage in Abu Dhabi including the Bu Hasa, Bab and Asab oil fields. The fields form part of the Abu Dhabi Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) concession.
A report by Petroleum Intelligence Weekly report said, "It remains unclear why BP was not invited, the sources say, but the decision will almost certainly have been approved at the highest levels in Abu Dhabi."
Oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA were among the companies invited to participate in the pre-qualification bidding round, the report added.
Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Total and Partex Oil & Gas have been shareholders in output from oil fields under a concession agreement that dates back to 1939. The fields began commercial production in 1960.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company joined as a partner in the 1970s, forming ADCO, which holds the rights for six main deposits until 2014.
