STATE-OWNED Adnoc accounts for 94 per cent of UAE’s 92.2 billion barrels of proved oil reserves.

It also has 196.1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proved natural gas reserves. The company carries out its operations through 14 subsidiaries, which include three oil and gas exploration and production companies, three exploration and production services companies, three oil and gas processing companies, two chemicals and petrochemicals companies, two maritime transportation companies and one refined products distribution company.
The company’s subsidiaries, which engage in exploration and production of oil and natural gas include, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (Adco), Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco) and Zakum Development Company (Zadco).
Adco operates on the onshore and shallow coastal waters of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi. It extracts oil mainly from five fields namely, Asab, Bab, Bu Hasa, Sahil and Shah. Its other fields include Jarn Yaphoure, Al Dabb’iya, Rumaitha and Shanayel.
Adma-Opco, is an oil and gas producer operating in two major fields, Umm Shaif and Zakum. The crude oil extracted from these fields is then transported to the industrial base located in Das Island for processing, storing and export. Zadco develops and operates the Upper Zakum field, one of the largest oil fields in the world on behalf of Adnoc and Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco). In addition Upper Zakum, the company also operates the Umm Al Dalkh and Satah fields.
The company’s subsidiaries, which engage in the exploration and production services include, National Drilling Company (NDC), Esnaad and Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Operating Company (Irshad).
NDC is engaged in the drilling operations required for exploration and field development as well as maintenance operations in both onshore and offshore areas. The company operates a modern fleet of 10 offshore and 12 onshore drilling and work-over rigs. In addition, the company has six water well rigs, all operating in two projects to survey the ground water of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Esnaad engages in the production and marketing of mud chemicals, material handling services, waste management, speciality chemicals blending, and the operating, chartering or leasing of specialised vessels. Irshad operates all petroleum and industrial ports in Abu Dhabi and provides maintenance operations, safety and diving services. In addition, it also operates the oil terminals and ports of Jabel Dhanna, Ruwais, Umm Al Nar, Das Island, Zirku, and Mubarraz Islands. In addition, the company also carries out maintenance work on Adma-Opco’s single point moorings and Zadco’s oil terminals.
The company subsidiaries, which are involved in oil and gas processing namely, Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco), Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction (Adgas) and The Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer).
Gasco is the operating company in Abu Dhabi responsible for processing associate and non-associate gas from onshore oil production. It converts flared oil by-products into different marketable forms of energy. The processing takes place in its four plants at Asab, Habshan/Bab, Bu Hasa and Ruwais. Adgas turns gas, extracted from Abu Dhabi’s offshore field crude oil into marketable energy. Takreer is a public shareholding company with an independent corporate body status. Its operations includes refining of crude oil, salt, chlorine and petroleum condensates, sulfur treatment, mixing of petroleum products and other activities. Takreer has refining capacity of over 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and condensate.
The company has two subsidiaries operating in the chemicals and petrochemicals sector namely, Ruwais Fertiliser Industries (Fertil) and The Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge). Fertil is a 2:1 joint venture between Adnoc and Total. The company produces fertilisers and offers them both locally and internationally. Borouge is a joint venture owned by Adnoc and Borealis, Europe’s leading producer of polyolefins. It manufactures and sells polyethylene for use mainly in the flexible and rigid packaging and construction industries
In addition, the company has two maritime transportation subsidiaries namely, Abu Dhabi National Tanker Company (Adnatco) and The National Gas Shipping Company (NGSCO). Adnatco carries out the transportation of crude oil, refined products, petrochemical products, gas and associated petroleum products.
It also provides logistical support and advice on shipping to Adnoc and its group of companies. NGSCO has its main administration office in Abu Dhabi and two sub offices in Tokyo and Das Island. The company operates a fleet of eight modern 135,000 m LNG ships and charters LNG, LPG and sulfur ships to transport Adgas’ products to Japan and other parts of the world. It also provides Adgas with marine expertise.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution (Adnoc Distribution), is engaged in the distribution of refined products. It specialises in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products in the UAE. Adnoc Distribution operates a network of filling stations covering all areas of the UAE. The company’s fuel products are distributed by its own fleet of load tankers in addition to pipelines for transporting petroleum products to the main depots. In addition, Adnoc Distribution operates two LPG bottling plants, one in Abu Dhabi and the other in Al Ain.
The company’s chemical segment was formed as part of its diversification plans into the petrochemical sector. The primary purpose of the company for setting up a chemicals segment was to add value to its natural resources through petrochemicals and chemical ventures. Further, value adds included enhancing profitability by identification of new market opportunities; development of strategic business plan; negotiations with potential joint venture partners; coordination for successful implementation of approved projects; coordination with existing chemical ventures and implementation of research and development programmes.
The Ruwais Fertiliser Industries (Fertil) is the only petrochemical venture of the company. The complex consists of a 1,050 tonnes per day ammonia plant and a 1,500 tonnes per day urea plant. The complex currently exports around 600,000 tonnes of urea and some surplus ammonia annually.
Further, the company as part of its diversification programme has formed a joint venture company, Abu Dhabi Polymers Company Limited (Borouge), in which it owns 60 per cent stake, while Borealis A/S owns the remaining 40 per cent. This project includes 600,000 tonnes per year (tpy) ethane cracker and 450,000 tpy polyethylene plant, which is capable of swing production of bimodal LLDPE and HDPE. The two companies have also formed another joint venture company, Borouge Ltd, Singapore, to market the products.
One of the key strategies that the company is focused on under its chemicals segment includes the proposition to increase the gas processing and NGL recovery capacities in Abu Dhabi. For this two major projects, Onshore Gas Development Project Stage III (OGD III) and Asab Gas Development Project Stage II (AGD II) are currently in the front end engineering and design stage. These will include facilities for the recovery of 4,800 tpy of ethane, which can support a cracker of 1.2 million tpy capacity. The NGL/ethane recovery facilities are expected to be commissioned by mid 2007 and will provide the drive for further development of the petrochemical industry.
Additionally, the company’s future plans include expansion of the fertiliser and polyethylene lines, introduction of new product lines such as melamine, propylene / polypropylene, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)/ poly vinyl chloride (PVC), linear alpha olefins and aromatics through naphtha reforming.
Adnoc through its exploration and production segment engages in the exploration and production activities for oil and gas along with gas processing activities. The company carries out these operations either on its own or jointly with any one of its three operating companies namely, Adco (Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations), Adma-Opco (Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company) and Zadco (Zakum Development Company).
Adnoc accounts for 94 per cent of UAE’s 92.2 billion barrels of proved oil reserves. It also has 196.1 tcf of proved natural gas reserves.
With the majority of fields in the country producing for years, Adnoc through its exploration and production segment is focused on developing more and newer sophisticated technologies. The aim is to ensure maximum production without endangering the ultimate recovery from the fields. The company and its operating companies are also focused on exploring newer oil and gas accumulations, both onshore as well as offshore.
The company is focused on implementing its upstream oil and gas strategy so as to ensure optimum development scheme of oil and gas, both in terms of reserves as well as production. This strategy of the company is supported by reservoir charecterisation and dynamic modelling with field application on limited scale (pilots) before full scale implementation.
Adnoc through its marketing and refining segment engages in the selling of crude and condensate production, natural gas liquids and sulphur, along with refined oil products processed by Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. (Takreer). In addition, the company also sells its oil products to local distribution companies for consumption in the domestic market.
The company engages in refining and marketing operations through various wholly owned operating companies including the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. (Takreer), Adnoc Distribution, the Abu Dhabi National Tanker Company (Adnatco) and the National Gas Shipping Company (NGSCO).
The company through its subsidiary, Adnoc Distribution, retails oil products in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. Its range of oil products include lubricants, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and liquid and granulated sulphur.
Further, the company’s Umm Al Nar Refinery near Abu Dhabi town has a total capacity of 85,000 bpd of crude. The Ruwais Refinery located at Ruwais near Jebel Dhanna has a crude capacity of 140,000 bpd and condensate splitter capacity of 280,000 bpd.