ADNOC has announced a series of agreements with a number of energy companies that will potentially enable $60 billion of US investments in UAE energy projects across the lifespan of the projects.
The agreements include a “landmark” field development plan with ExxonMobil and INPEX/JODCO to expand the capacity of Abu Dhabi’s Upper Zakum offshore field through a phased development program.
ADNOC says that the phased field development plan for Upper Zakum will leverage AI and “industry-leading technologies and the deep expertise” and its “strong partnership” with ExxonMobil and INPEX/JODCO to “sustainably” grow production capacity. The Upper Zakum field, originally discovered in 1963, is located 84 kilometers northwest of Abu Dhabi, and is operated from a series of artificial islands. Upper Zakum is part of the Zakum field which ADNOC says is the world’s second-largest offshore field.
The plan will upgrade the Upper Zakum’s infrastructure to include AI-enabled remote operations, receive power from the UAE’s clean energy grid to reduce emissions, and enable the use of artificial islands for drilling activities to enhance environmental protection.
ADNOC says that the potential expansion of these facilities will provide more gas for domestic industrial growth and LNG for export.
