ABU DHABI - Part 2 - Profiles Of The Oil & Gas Fields And Their Operators.

Abu Dhabi has the capacity to produce sustainably 2.5 million b/d of crude oil, compared to 2.37m b/d at end-1996 and 1.83m b/d in 1990/91, plus more than 280,000 b/d of condensates. Most of Abu Dhabi's oil and gas fields are being expanded, so that total liquids capacity (excluding LNG & LPG) could reach almost 3m b/d before end-2001. In the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), upstream experts say this capacity will be sustainable for several years, rather than for 12 months.

Six major fields in Abu Dhabi, three onshore and three offshore, account for the bulk of the emirate's oil and gas production and their oil is of high quality. Unlike the bigger GCC neighbours and other OPEC members, Abu Dhabi has foreign partners sharing its burden in funding capacity expansions. They provide the best technology in the industry.

ADNOC, fully owned by the emirate, has expanded its upstream and downstream production capacities under a programme for 1996-2000, with two condensate refineries having come on stream and major petrochemical ventures being built at the industrial zone of Ruwais (see Downstream Trends of this week).

ADNOC may consider proposals to extend its LNG export venture from the current nominal capacity of 5.3 million tons/year to 8m t/y, if this proves feasible. It is to export gas to Dubai by pipeline from later this year, and will import gas from Qatar under the Dolphin programme (see Part 3).

               ABU DHABI SUSTAINABLE OIL PRODUCTION CAPACITY 1990-2001

                    1990/1    End-00    End-01    API deg.  Sulphur    Gravity
                    Onshore   Operator  000 b/d   000 b/d   000 b/d   % Weight

Bab*                 ADCO      150        330       350       40.6        0.8
Bu Hasa*             ADCO      400        510       680       39
Asab*                ADCO      280        330       450       40.8        0.75
Shah*                ADCO       15         30        62       39          0.7
Sahil*               ADCO       15         55        70       39.7        0.7
Jarn Yaphour         ADCO       --         10        10       39          0.8
3 New Fields*        ADCO       --         10        50       n.a.        n.a
Total                ADCO      860      1,275     1,672

Offshore
Umm Shaif            ADMA/OPCO 250        265       280        37         1
Lower Zakum          ADMA/OPCO 270        300       330        39         1
Total                ADMA/OPCO 520        565       610
Upper Zakum          ZADCO     330        540       600        35         1.8
Umm Al Dalkh         UDECO      20         25        25        32.5       1.6
Satah                UDECO      15         20        20        39.8       1
Abu Bukhoosh         TotalElf   40         50        50        32         1.8
Arzanah              ZADCO      20         20        20        44         0.8
Mubarraz             ADOC       20         20        20        37         1.6
Umm Al Anbar         MOCO        5         10        10        36-37      1+
Grand Total                  1,830      2,500     3,007

* Bab, Bu Hasa, Asab, Shah and Sahil form ADCO's Murban system. The Murban blend of export crude is 40.4o API with 0.8% sulphur. The three new fields developed by ADCO are Zubbaya, Rumaitha and Shanayel. Originally, in 1991, ADCO planned to develop these fields on a larger scale so that their combined capacity would reach 150,000 b/d by 2000. Their development was scaled down because of quota limitations, but if ADNOC raises ADCO's production allowable the company would expand their capacity to that level.