ADNOC Drilling Company has secured a $733 million contract from ADNOC Offshore for three island drilling rigs to support operations at the offshore Zakum field.
The rigs will be constructed by Honghua Group (HH) and are expected to be operational by 2026. The partnership between ADNOC Drilling and HH aims to leverage AI and advanced technology to improve rig performance, safety, and efficiency. The two entities will also collaborate with AIQ, an Abu Dhabi-based AI pioneer contributing to the energy sector globally.
“These new island rigs will be the most advanced in the world, embracing artificial intelligence, the most tranformative techology of our generation,” said Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Seiari, CEO of ADNOC Drilling.
“Our partnership with HH will amplify the creativity and ingenuity of our industry as we design and build these rigs of the future that drive efficiency and safety and deliver exceptional value for our customer ADNOC Offshore,” he added.
The rig operating systems’ design will utilise real-time condition, performance and utilisation data to create actionable insights, enhance rig performance, increase efficiency, and improve safety and delivery times. Additionally, drilling operations on ADNOC’s artificial islands create the ideal conditions for extended-reach drilling (ERD). The top five longest wells in the world are delivered from these islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi, the most recently delivered being over 52,000 feet. The rigs will be built to deliver ERD and have the state-of-the-art capability of walking between wells, eliminating the need for the rigs to be dismantled and moved. These capabilities dramatically improve efficiency and safety while vastly reducing costs and emissions.
“ADNOC Drilling’s technical expertise and enhanced capabilities are key enablers as we safely and sustainably accelerate to meet the world’s growing energy demands,” said Tayba Abdul Rahim Al Hashemi, CEO of ADNOC Offshore. “This award will strengthen our partnership in the future as we work together to harness AI and innovation to maximise energy, minimise emissions and unlock significant value for stakeholders.”
The capital expenditure for the new rigs is estimated at $210 million, mostly in 2025, with full-year revenue expected by 2027. ADNOC Drilling’s fleet is projected to reach at least 148 rigs by 2026, following significant investments since its 2021 IPO.
