The UAE’s energy giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has tucked a new construction milestone under its belt with the load-out and transport of the first jacket for its multibillion-dollar giant sour gas development, which aims to become the world’s first project to operate with net-zero emissions.
With the first steel jacket all set to be put in place, ADNOC is making progress in bringing its Hail and Ghasha project to life. The jacket’s load-out from NMDC Energy ’s yard in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, was followed by its transportation from the fabrication yard to the cargo barge, enabling it to be carried by NMDC’s Safeen-3000 vessel 160 kilometers offshore for installation, enabling it to be placed on the seabed.
“We are delighted to contribute to ADNOC’s Hail and Ghasha project, a key milestone in advancing the UAE’s energy future. We’re proud to be contributing to the strategic Hail and Ghasha Project as we mark the successful completion of the first jacket load-out,” highlighted NMDC Energy, which is tasked with the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) scope of the project’s ongoing offshore work.
This seabed placement at the gas field signifies the laying of foundations for the project’s offshore facilities. ADNOC put the UAE’s National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) in charge of the dredging, land reclamation, and marine construction assignment on this gas project, with work entailing the construction of ten artificial islands and two causeways, along with the expansion of an existing island, Al Ghaf .
The UAE energy heavyweight emphasized: “ We’ve successfully completed the first jacket load out for the Hail and Ghasha project and transported these essential structures from the NMDC Energy Yard in Mussafah to our gas field 160 km offshore for installation.
“This marks a major milestone in the construction of this groundbreaking initiative to meet growing energy demand and reflects the strong partnerships driving progress on this world-first project of its kind.”
The Hail and Ghasha gas development project is part of Abu Dhabi’s Ghasha concession , which is said to be the world’s largest offshore sour gas development encompassing the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma , Nasr , Satah al Razboot (SARB) , Bu Haseer , Shuweihat , and Mubarraz offshore sour gas fields.
A final investment decision (FID) for the Hail and Ghasha offshore gas development was made in 2023, reinforcing ADNOC’s decarbonization zest to reach its net-zero by 2045 ambition and aspirations to double its carbon capture capacity target to 10 million tonnes per year (mtpa) of CO2 by 2030.
A consortium, led by National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) , a subsidiary of National Marine Dredging Company, which also includes Saipem and China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC) , secured a pre-construction service agreement (PCSA) for offshore facilities in January 2023, several months before FID was taken for the gas development.
The Ghasha development is envisioned to employ smart technology across all operations, allowing operators, technicians, and site personnel remote access to the project’s key operations. Aside from a fully unmanned facility, ADNOC has set its sights on artificial intelligence (AI), such as predictive maintenance, for all critical rotating equipment.
The company plans to combine a mix of advanced technologies into one integrated solution to capture 1.5 million tonnes per year of CO2 while producing low-carbon hydrogen, which can replace gas as fuel to advance emissions reduction progress.
Recently, Lukoil made a deal with OMV to increase its stake in the Hail and Ghasha development off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the Ghasha concession, a key component of ADNOC’s integrated gas masterplan and an important enabler of gas self-sufficiency for the United Arab Emirates.