Adnoc receives prices for offshore oil project
15 November 2023

Register for MEED's guest programme
Adnoc Offshore has received commercial bids from contractors for a project to increase the oil production potential of Abu Dhabi’s largest producing oil asset – the Upper Zakum offshore field – to 1.2 million barrels a day (b/d).
Adnoc Offshore, the offshore oil and gas-producing subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), had set a deadline of 13 November for contractors to submit their prices for the project, MEED previously reported. The commercial bid submission deadline prior to that was 23 October.
The main scope of the project involves engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of several surface facilities and plants at the Upper Zakum offshore development’s four main artificial islands of Al-Ghallan, Umm al-Anbar, Ettouk and Asseifiya – also known as Central Island, West Island, North Island and South Island, respectively.
The following contractors, among others, are understood to be bidding for the Upper Zakum oil production increment project, according to sources:
- Petrofac (UK)
- Target Engineering Construction Company (UAE)
- Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
Adnoc Offshore issued the main tender for the Upper Zakum offshore oil field production increment scheme to contractors in late February this year.
Contractors submitted technical bids for EPC works on the project by 5 June, MEED previously reported.
The scope of work on the project comprises EPC works for the following structures:
Al-Ghallan Island
- Production, water injection and produced-water disposal wells
- Pre-assembled pipe racks and manifold
- Gas lift compressor and glycol dehydration unit
- Water injection plant
- Produced-water treatment package
- Gas turbine generators
- Water-winning pump
- Coarse filtration package
- Air compressor and dryer package
- Chemical injection packages
- Module technical rooms
- Electrical substation
- Local equipment room
Umm al-Anbar Island
- Booster gas compression package
- Low-pressure gas cooler
- Crude oil transfer pumps
- Water-winning pump
- Coarse filtration package
- Instrument air compressor and dryer package and receiver
- Nitrogen generation package and receiver
- Low-pressure flare gas recovery compressor package
- Electrical substation
- Module technical rooms
Ettouk Island
- Produced-water treatment package
- New produced-water disposal header and disposal wells
- Produced-water disposal pumps
Asseifiya Island
- Produced-water treatment and re-injection train
- Produced-water booster/disposal and re-injection pumps
- Electrical substation
Upper Zakum expansion
Located 84 kilometres offshore in Abu Dhabi, Upper Zakum is the world’s second-largest offshore field and fourth-largest oil field.
Adnoc Offshore initiated the UZ1000 project in 2019, aiming to raise Upper Zakum’s oil production capacity to 1 million b/d by 2024. The goal has now been increased to 1.2 million b/d, according to the project’s EPC tender, with the completion timeline likely to have been extended.
Spanish contractor Tecnicas Reunidas was awarded the contract for the front-end engineering and design works on the UZ1000 project in 2019. UK-headquartered Wood Group was appointed as the project management consultant for the EPC phase.
The UZ1000 project has since been delayed, with sources attributing the slowdown, particularly the delay in Adnoc Offshore issuing the main EPC tender, to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid certainly did slow down work on the project from Adnoc’s side. With high oil prices being favourable, and with its accelerated [oil and gas production] targets, Adnoc may want to push this project through,” one source previously said.
Adnoc has committed to a capital expenditure budget of approximately $30bn, along with its operating partners in the Upper Zakum hydrocarbons concession, Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco) and US-based ExxonMobil.
The aim is to first raise the asset’s oil output from 640,000 b/d to 750,000 b/d through the UZ750 project, and then eventually to 1 million b/d through the current project.
Zakum Development Company (Zadco), which later merged into Adnoc Offshore, awarded EPC contracts for the UZ750 project in 2012 and early 2013.
The $817m first package was awarded to a consortium of Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum Construction Company and France-based Technip Energies. Package two, the project’s largest EPC package, worth $3.7bn, was awarded to a consortium of UK-headquartered Petrofac and South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Engineering.
EPC work on UZ750 began in 2014 and was completed in 2022.
In October 2022, Adnoc Group subsidiary Adnoc Drilling set a world record for drilling the longest oil and gas well at the Upper Zakum concession, stretching 50,000 feet.
The extended-reach wells will tap into an undeveloped part of the Upper Zakum reservoir, potentially increasing the field’s production capacity by 15,000 b/d without expanding or building any new infrastructure, Adnoc said.
Exclusive from Meed
-
UAE firm acquires majority stake in African power producer31 August 2026
-
Contract award nears for Saudi Landbridge Riyadh section31 August 2026
-
Prequalification begins for Dammam suburb boulevard PPP31 August 2026
-
Contractors submit bids for Kuwait power transmission works31 August 2026
-
Eni plans to drill 230 oil and gas wells in Egypt31 August 2026
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
UAE firm acquires majority stake in African power producer31 August 2026
Abu Dhabi-based ePointZero has announced a deal to acquire a 90% stake in pan-African independent power producer Azura Power Holdings.
The transaction will give the subsidiary of UAE investment group 2PointZero control of 752MW of operating power generation capacity across Nigeria, Senegal and Mozambique.
The company will acquire the respective stakes held by existing shareholders Actis and Africa50 through an acquisition vehicle established with Amaya Capital, an Africa-focused investment firm based in London.
Amaya Capital founded Azuro Power in 2010 and will retain a 10% minority stake in the company, which also has a development pipeline of more than 1.5GW of planned power projects.
The pipeline includes expansions at existing sites, as well as new gas and renewable energy projects and battery energy storage systems.
Azuro Power’s operating portfolio comprises the 461MW Azura-Edo power plant in Nigeria, the 116MW Tobene power plant in Senegal and the 175MW Central Termica de Ressano Garcia plant in Mozambique. The company’s operating assets generate around 10% of each country’s grid baseload power, the statement said.
The company’s projects have received financing and support from development finance institutions including the World Bank, British International Investment, German Investment & Development Company, the US International Development Finance Corporation, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and France’s Proparco.
The deal, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, marks ePointZero’s entry into African power generation and follows the acquisition of a 20% stake in Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric in 2024.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19171095/main.jpg -
Contract award nears for Saudi Landbridge Riyadh section31 August 2026

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) is preparing to award the main construction contract for the design-and-build of the Riyadh Rail Link, a new north-to-south railway line across the capital.
MEED understands that the commercial proposals were opened two weeks ago, with a decision expected imminently.
SAR began the post-tender clarifications with bidders in July, as MEED reported.
The bidders include:
- China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (China/local)
- Nesma & Partners / China Harbour Engineering Company (local/China)
- Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting / IC Ictas Construction / Saipem (local/Turkiye/Spain)
- Saudi Binladin Group (local)
In June, MEED exclusively reported that contractors submitted their commercial proposals on the 30th of that month.
The scope includes a 35-kilometre double-track line connecting SAR’s North-South Railway to the Eastern Railway network.
Issued on 29 January, the tender also covers the procurement, construction and installation of associated infrastructure, including viaducts, civil works, utility diversions/installations, signalling systems and other related works.
Once delivered, the Riyadh Rail Link is expected to become a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.
In January, SAR said it would deliver the Saudi Landbridge project through a “new mechanism” by 2034, after failing to reach an agreement with a Chinese consortium to construct it, as MEED reported.
In an interview with local media, SAR CEO Bashar Bin Khalid Al-Malik said the consortium failed to meet local content requirements, and that the project would instead be delivered in several phases under a different procurement model.
Negotiations have been under way between Saudi Arabia and China-backed investors interested in developing the scheme through a public-private partnership (PPP). Al-Malik put the project cost at about SR100bn ($26.6bn).
Overall, it comprises more than 1,500km of new track. A core element is a 900km railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, providing the capital with direct freight access to King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.
Other key elements include upgrading the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital known as the Riyadh Link, and a connection between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.
The Saudi Landbridge is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated project programmes. First announced in 2004, it was put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later. Rights-of-way issues, route alignment and the high cost have been among the main stumbling blocks.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19161887/main.gif -
Prequalification begins for Dammam suburb boulevard PPP31 August 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities & Housing, in collaboration with Ashraq Development Company and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP, has issued a request for qualification (RFQ) notice for the development of the King Fahd suburb boulevard project in Dammam.
The notice was issued on 27 August, with a submission deadline of 22 October.
The public-private partnership (PPP) project will be delivered using a design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer model, with a 43-year contract term.
The project is located in Al-Bayda Governorate and features a 4 kilometre (km) mixed-use zone along a central boulevard, forming part of a larger 7.3km corridor.
The project will be developed in two phases and span about 1 million square metres.
According to a statement: “The private sector partner will be responsible for developing and operating the boulevard, which includes leisure and recreational facilities, public parks, entertainment venues, retail outlets, office spaces, hospitality zones, pedestrian walkways and road networks.”
The project is the latest addition to the growing number of PPP projects in the kingdom.
In January, Saudi Arabia launched a national privatisation strategy aimed at mobilising $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.
Building on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018, the strategy focuses on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.
In a statement, NCP said the strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19160560/main.jpg -
Contractors submit bids for Kuwait power transmission works31 August 2026

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has received bids for two tenders covering power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development.
The first tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the third phase of the development.
According to sources, five contractors submitted bids on 26 August. The local Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons made the lowest offer of $104.2m.
The bids include:
- Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons: $104.2m (Kuwait)
- Industrial Electrical Projects (IEP): $111.5m (Kuwait)
- Larsen & Toubro: $114m (India)
- Oman National Engineering & Investment: $118m (Oman)
- National Contracting Company: $126m (Saudi Arabia)
The second PAHW tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the fourth phase of the project.
According to sources, five contractors also submitted bids on 26 August, with A-Ahleia Switchgear making the lowest offer of $103.3m.
The bids include:
- Al-Ahleia Switchgear: $103.3m (Kuwait)
- Industrial Electrical Projects (IEP): $111.7m (Kuwait)
- Larsen & Toubro: $114m (India)
- Oman National Engineering & Investment: $118.3m (Oman)
- National Contracting Company: $126m (Saudi Arabia)
Both projects were initially tendered in May. As reported by MEED, PAHW previously issued addendums for both substation tenders, revising the qualification requirements for bidders.
According to the revised requirements, contractors must be approved by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy and have experience supplying and installing at least 10 132kV substations in Kuwait.
The addendums also introduced requirements related to transformer and gas-insulated switchgear manufacturing approvals, as well as operational performance records for installed equipment.
Sabah Al-Ahmad residential city
Meanwhile, bids remain under evaluation for two 132kV underground cable tenders for the South Sabah Al-Ahmad residential development, tendered by PAHW in May.
The first cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables feeding eight main transformer substations serving the N1, N6 and N11 districts in the project’s fourth phase.
MEED previously reported that Egytech Cables, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric, was the lowest bidder with an offer of $42.37m.
The second cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables linked to substations serving the N5, N6, N8 and N10 districts in the project’s third phase.
Egytech Cables submitted the lowest offer of $39.95m. TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable submitted a bid of $41.89m, along with Riyadh Cables ($42.05m) and The Contractor General Trading & Contracting ($44.97m).
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19151780/main.jpg -
Eni plans to drill 230 oil and gas wells in Egypt31 August 2026
Italy’s Eni is planning to drill 230 new oil and gas wells in Egypt, according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
Eni’s chief executive, Claudio Descalzi, discussed his plans for exploration and development in Egypt on 25 August during a meeting with Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi.
During the meeting, Descalzi said that the company has plans to drill 30 exploration wells in addition to 200 development wells.
Descalzi said his company plans to intensify its exploration and development programmes, especially in the Mediterranean and Western Sahara regions, to increase production of natural gas and crude oil.
He said that his company plans to use the latest seismic imaging and artificial intelligence technologies as a key part of its exploration and development plans.
In a separate statement, Eni also said that it is working with UK-headquartered BP and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) to reach a final investment decision (FID) for a project to develop the major gas discovery of Denise West in Egypt’s Temsah concession.
Eni made the discovery in February and says it holds about 2 trillion cubic feet of gas and 130,000 barrels of condensate.
It is targeting first gas in less than two years and expects to reach FID “in the next few months”, according to its statement.
Eni’s total investments in Egypt have reached a value of $8.5bn, according to the statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
During the meeting on 25 August, Descalzi also stressed the importance of linking Cyprus’ Cronos gas field to Egyptian export infrastructure.
In July, Eni reached the FID to develop the Cronos project in deep waters offshore Cyprus, targeting the first Cypriot gas to market in 2028.
Production is expected to reach a plateau of 500 million standard cubic feet a day.
In October last year, Egypt and Cyprus signed provisional agreements to connect Cyprus’ Cronos gas field to Egypt’s gas infrastructure.
The agreements were signed by parties including Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Eni, and the French oil and gas company TotalEnergies.
Connecting the Cronos field to Egypt is expected to involve the tendering of a major subsea pipeline project.
This will allow gas to be transported and processed in existing Zohr facilities in Egypt, then transferred and liquefied at the Damietta LNG plant for export as LNG to international markets, primarily Europe.
At the meeting on 25 August, Descalzi said the planned project to connect the Cronos field to Egypt will be considered a model for regional cooperation in the gas sector and will enhance Egypt’s status as a regional gas hub.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19079059/main.jpg
