ADNOC Drilling Launches New Initiative to Drill 144 Unconventional Oil & Gas Wells with .7 Billion Funding

ADNOC Drilling, a prominent drilling company based in the UAE, has secured a significant .7 billion contract to tap into the country’s unconventional oil and gas reserves. To facilitate this endeavor, ADNOC Drilling has established a subsidiary company, Turnwell Industries LLC OPC (Turnwell), dedicated to conducting unconventional drilling operations for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Under the terms of the contract, Turnwell will be responsible for delivering 144 unconventional oil and gas wells. Additionally, ADNOC Drilling has entered into a term sheet to form a strategic partnership with Schlumberger Middle East (SLB) and Patterson-UTI International Holdings, pending the finalization of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals.

Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Executive Director of ADNOC Upstream and Vice Chairman of ADNOC Drilling, emphasized the importance of providing reliable and affordable energy resources to meet global demands while transitioning towards sustainable energy solutions. Through strategic partnerships and the utilization of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and digitalization, ADNOC Drilling aims to unlock Abu Dhabi’s energy potential and drive value for the UAE.

With a focus on leveraging AI-driven drilling design, completions engineering, and production solutions, ADNOC Drilling plans to lead the development of unconventional energy drilling in the Middle East region to fulfill the UAE’s energy requirements. The company’s recent collaboration with Alpha Dhabi, Enersol, is expected to play a key role in achieving this objective.

As part of the initial phase of unconventional energy development, ADNOC Drilling intends to utilize up to nine land rigs, with five already incorporated into its fleet as of December 2023. This approach is crucial for unlocking unconventional oil and gas resources, including those found in offshore, oil sands, shale/gas, tight/gas, and gas hydrate reservoirs.

Given Abu Dhabi’s substantial reserves of unconventional oil and gas, estimated at 220 billion barrels and 460 TCF respectively, ADNOC Drilling sees significant potential in tapping into these resources. The company believes that the unconventional energy opportunity in Abu Dhabi rivals some of the largest resources in the United States in terms of production potential.

Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Seiari, CEO of ADNOC Drilling, expressed his enthusiasm for the transformative opportunity presented by the contract to drill 144 wells, emphasizing the company’s readiness to undertake further projects to unlock the UAE’s unconventional energy potential.

In line with its commitment to sustainability and innovation, ADNOC has integrated over 30 AI solutions to reduce emissions and generate value. The company has also secured its third 15-year LNG deal for the Ruwais liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which is set to become the first LNG export facility in the MENA region powered by clean energy sources.