Adnoc forgoes seasonal break
The Emirati heavyweight is racing to bring on new gas production to exploit rampant global thirst for the resource
Summer is typically a quiet time for business in the Mideast Gulf, as executives decamp en masse to more temperate climes. But for the UAE’s state-owned Adnoc, this year the opposite is true. Contracting activity on major projects is continuing apace, funded by the proceeds from near-record oil and gas prices and galvanised by the world’s newfound thirst for additional supply. The brief sojourn of Adnoc’s CEO in France in mid-July was only to witness a personal plea to that effect from Paris, and to strike a fresh collaboration pact with long-time upstream partner TotalEnergies. Activity is hottest in the gas sector. In late July, contracts worth c.$2bn were awarded to the firm’s Adnoc Drill
Also in this section
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations
28 April 2026
Restoring supply from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq involves complexities far beyond simply adjusting operational controls
28 April 2026
Datacentres will guzzle power at a ferocious rate, but the impact on wider energy markets will be far more complex than previously thought
28 April 2026
The key energy player faces balancing regional routes, political complexities, and creating a clear strategic vision for energy security






