Adnoc has drilled 20 exploratory oil wells in the last 19 years and the focus for the future is set to be the exploration of deep oil and gas prospects.

The company has completed all its related programmes in onshore developments, including a project to upgrade water injection facilities in the Bu Hasa and Sahil fields, according to the company publication, Adnoc News.

This project was completed in 1996.

Sahil will be upgraded to increase oil production capacity at the Thamama reservoirs to produce 75 million barrels per day (mbpd).

The first phase has already been completed and production capacity has been increased to 55 mbpd.

In the second phase, a production increase of 75 mbpd is planned and this is projected to be completed next year.

The Abu Dhabi Onshore Oil Co (Adco) project, which aims to increase production of crude oil to 1.4 mbpd, is vital to the company, as it involves an increase of production at Thamama (B) by 100,000 mbpd.

The work is to include the expansion of the current capacity of the Bab facilities to receive 350 mbpd as well.

Projects also include development of the facilities at gas fields in northeast Abu Dhabi.

These aim to inject 170 million cubic feet per day of gas (mcfdg) and produce oil at a fixed rate of 110 mbpd, including 70 mbpd from Dhabiyya and Rumaitha fields and 40mbpd from the Shanayel field.

The project is scheduled to be completed late 2005.

The current offshore project includes the injection of 200 mcfdg from Umm Shaif and Khuff into the Thamama reservoir at the Zakum fields which will serve to enhance the capacity of oil recovery.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of next year.

The Umm Al Shaif crestal gas injection project with a capacity of 600 mcfdg is also expected to be completed in 2006.

Adco, hopes to boost oil production to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2005, according to a senior official at the company.

The firm generates more than half of Abu Dhabi's oil production and it is one of the 10 largest oil companies in the world and the largest crude oil producer in the southern Arabian Gulf.

Adco general manager Andre Van Strijp said that this involved implementing an ambitious production plan.

Current production capacity is believed to stand at million bpd.

Adco is expected to invest about $800 million in major project work.

Offshore, $1,200 million is planned for the Umm Shaif field by Adma-Opco. Much of this will be invested at the existing Bu Hasa field, where production, currently running at 100,000 bpd, has been curtailed by a rising water cut and reduced reservoir pressure in recent years.

Adco had originally proposed tackling the problems head on through two separate schemes: an upgrade of the surface production facilities and a gas reinjection programme.

The first, estimated to be worth $200 million-250 million and known as the Bu Hasa surface upgrade, was aimed at a 380,000 bpd increase in water separation capacity.

The second project covered the reinjection of 95 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas and 120,000 bpd of water into the G, F and D reservoirs.

The UAE has an oil output capacity of over 2.3 million bpd.