Reports have emerged that ADNOC, or the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has begun shale drilling in a joint block with American energy giant EOG Resources. The state-owned energy utility serves the region as a dependable source of energy generation and, at a recent event, outlined the operations taking place in not only the UAE but also in Bahrain. Despite the apparent stance that most of the nations of the world have taken towards decarbonization of the sector, oil remains a steadfast cornerstone of the energy industry and shows no signs of disappearing in the near future.
ADNOC reports that progress on site is moving forward on schedule with zero interruptions
The global consensus that the energy sector needs to balance the need for reliable power with the need to integrate the renewable energy sector has not slowed down the progress that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has made in its efforts to drill for oil in the region.
Oil remains a crucial form of energy generation that the world has relied on for decades and will continue to do so. The global community has made significant inroads in phasing out the dominance that the oil industry has over the energy sector by ensuring a transparent and beneficial environment that promotes the usage of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydrogen.
ADNOC has reported that it has begun the process of drilling horizontal wells and testing oil to the surface at a site operated by American energy giant EOG Resources. The announcement came from the company’s CEO and chairman, Ezra Yacob, at the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference in New York.
EOG Resources aims to expand its international reach following the deal with ADNOC
In May of this year, EOG Resources, which predominantly operates in North America, was awarded the oil exploration concession for Unconventional Onshore Block 3. The site is an over-pressured, oil-prone basin covering 1393 square miles and is highly valued by the vast number of oil companies in the region.
The company had planned to begin drilling operations with ADNOC to explore and appraise the site’s oil resources in the second half of the year. EOG stated at the time that the appraisal phase would take approximately three years. After that, the company would potentially enter a production phase in which ADNOC has the option to participate.
Texas-based EOG Resources is aiming to expand its operations in the region following upstream activities in Trinidad and Tobago, the UAE, Bahrain, and Australia.
The site in Bahrain is of particular importance, as noted by the company’s CEO in his speech to the attendees at the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference.
“We have captured abundant resource at both plays, and we’ve partnered with companies that we have very, very strong stakeholder alignment with,” – EOG Resources’ chairman and CEO, Ezra Yacob when reffering to the UAE and Bahrain shale exploration efforts
The standing of the fossil fuel industry in the global energy sector is declining, in part due to the embrace of the renewable energy sector’s potential, and in part due to recent events in China that saw several coal sites being forced to shut down due to oversupply issues.
ADNOC is relying on the global need for oil to continue well into the future
The current state of the global economy has exacerbated the problems faced by the energy sector. Operations have become more expensive, and several nations have welcomed outside investment in their energy sectors for the first time. Despite the uncertain future for the oil and coal sectors, the conventional energy industry can take solace in the fact that several nations have auctioned off huge coal mines and facilities in recent months, pointing to the fact that the oil sector is not going anywhere, at least not for a while.
