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Adnoc Gas expects Habshan to hit full capacity in 2027

11 August 2026

Adnoc Gas hopes to restore full output capacity at its Habshan gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi by the second quarter of next year, following attacks on the facility in March and April during the US-Iran conflict.

Adnoc Gas, the natural gas processing business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), said it has already restored 85% of the Habshan facility’s capacity, surpassing the year-end target set in May.

The Habshan complex is one of the largest gas processing facilities in the UAE and the wider Middle East and North Africa region. It has a processing capacity of 6.1 billion cubic feet a day. The complex comprises five trains and 14 processing units that receive gas feedstock from onshore and offshore fields in Abu Dhabi.

The Habshan facility was struck at least three times in March and April by Iranian drones and missiles. On 19 March, UAE authorities suspended operations at Habshan after it was affected by debris falling from Iranian missiles intercepted by the country’s air defence systems.

Adnoc Gas then announced on 23 March that operations were continuing safely across its asset base, after similar missile and drone attacks by Iran on facilities owned by its parent, Adnoc Group, although it did not specifically mention the Habshan plant.

The worst of the attacks on Habshan took place on 3 April, when Iranian drones intercepted by the UAE’s air defence systems caused damage at the site, resulting in the death of an engineer working at the facility for Egyptian contractor Petrojet during an evacuation. Four other contractors sustained minor injuries, but were later discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.

ALSO READ: Adnoc Gas to move prudently on Bab Gas Cap project

On 8 April, Abu Dhabi authorities said three people – two Emiratis and an Indian national – sustained minor injuries after debris fell at the Habshan gas complex following a successful interception by the UAE’s air defence systems.

The debris also sparked several fires at the facility, prompting a temporary suspension of operations as safety and response teams assessed the situation.

“Adnoc Gas responded swiftly to the security-related incidents at the Habshan site on 3 and 8 April, prioritising safety and minimising disruptions to customers,” the company said on 10 August.

“The company has concluded its technical assessment of the impact from these incidents and recovery has progressed ahead of schedule, with gas supply already restored to 85%,” Adnoc Gas said as part of its announcement of financial results for the second quarter of 2026.

During a press conference to discuss Adnoc Gas’ Q2 2026 results, Peter Van Driel, the company’s chief financial officer, said: “At the moment, we have progressed to 85% of supply being reinstated, so the balance will be reinstated between now and the first half of 2027.

“If I look at the cost impact, we are still firming up our estimates. There are uncertainties around the pricing of certain items that we need to install as part of the final reinstatement.

“If we look at the key driver for our results in the second half, the 85% reinstatement of supply is definitely important. We’re encouraged by the fact that the 85% was delivered ahead of schedule,” Van Driel told journalists.

Fatema Al-Nuaimi, Adnoc Gas’ CEO and board member, said: “If I may add one point: it might be 85%, but in reality, today we are supplying 100% of our customers’ requirements locally.”

She added: “On exports, of course, we try our best to satisfy requirements and work closely with customers. But in terms of gas supply to the UAE, we are at 100%.”

Role of robotics and AI

Responding to a question about the deployment of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out damage assessment and repair work at the Habshan gas processing facility, Al-Nuaimi said: “One of the technical challenges in restoring the facilities quickly was that we had to inspect a significant part of our assets – some 600 kilometres of piping of different sizes across the facilities.

“If we had done this in the conventional way, we would have spent around 100 additional days putting up scaffolding and sending people to conduct manual and visual inspections.”

The CEO continued: “Instead, we used robotics supported by AI-driven software, which enabled us to shorten the inspection and response time and carry out repairs faster.

“It was not just about time; it was also about safety. It spared us from sending our people into critical areas that might not yet have been safe.”

She added: “We also used robotics in responding to fires and accessing certain parts of the assets.

“When we talk about AI, it is not a headline. It is real work and real value that we see every day in our business,” Al-Nuaimi further remarked.

ALSO READ: Adnoc announces FID on $6.2bn Umm Shaif gas cap project
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Indrajit Sen

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