ADNOC is accelerating its global gas expansion strategy with a landmark $6.2 billion (AED22.6 billion) final investment decision (FID) to develop the Umm Shaif Gas Cap in Abu Dhabi.
Thus, strengthening the UAE’s position as a major energy supplier amid rising global demand for reliable, lower-carbon energy.
The project, developed alongside international partners TotalEnergies, Eni and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), is expected to unlock more than 600 million standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of natural gas and associated gas liquids — equivalent to nearly 10% of the UAE’s current daily gas consumption.
Production from the offshore development is scheduled to begin by 2030, supporting domestic energy security while expanding ADNOC’s LNG capabilities to serve international markets and power growing industrial and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure demand.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said: "ADNOC is accelerating its integrated gas strategy to further harness the UAE's vast gas resources and expand our global LNG platform, as global demand for natural gas continues to rise.
"The Umm Shaif Gas Cap FID is another important milestone in delivering this strategy and reinforcing ADNOC's position as a reliable gas supplier. Together with our international partners, we are building on decades of responsible stewardship of Abu Dhabi’s longest-operating offshore field to unlock lasting value for the UAE and our customers."
The investment marks another major step in ADNOC’s wider gas growth roadmap, following the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs’ (SCFEA) award of the concession agreement for the Bab Gas Cap project, which is expected to unlock an additional 1.5 billion scfd of natural gas and associated gas liquids.
The Umm Shaif Gas Cap development also supports ADNOC’s ambition to expand its LNG portfolio, building on the company’s global LNG marketing and trading platform launched in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which targets 47 million tonnes per annum of combined marketable LNG capacity by 2035.
The $6.2 billion investment includes three major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages worth a combined $5.1 billion (AED18.8 billion) for large-scale offshore infrastructure. ADNOC has awarded the contracts to consortiums involving leading UAE and international contractors.
The project also includes a $365 million (AED1.3 billion) 14-well drilling and integrated drilling services program, which will be executed by ADNOC Drilling over 18 months using three existing rigs.
