ADNOC Drilling has announced the award of a new contract from ADNOC Offshore worth AED 2.97 billion to design and operate three advanced offshore rigs in support of the expansion of the Zakum field development project. This contract builds on a previous agreement signed in July 2024 for the deployment of three additional rigs for the same purpose, underscoring the ongoing strategic partnership between the two entities.
Commenting on the announcement, Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Seiari, CEO of ADNOC Drilling, said: “We are extremely proud of this significant milestone, which supports our rapid growth journey. The new AI-enabled rigs will enhance performance, boost operational efficiency, and strengthen safety standards. This contract also reinforces our role as a key enabler in helping ADNOC meet its production capacity targets and delivering long-term, sustainable value for our shareholders through 2038 and beyond.”
The new rigs will be deployed at ADNOC’s innovative artificial islands as part of its advanced offshore drilling infrastructure. The agreement falls within the framework of long-term revenue-generating contracts aimed at maximizing operational value.
Speaking on behalf of ADNOC Offshore, CEO Tayba Abdulrahim Al Hashemi noted: “Our goal at ADNOC Offshore is to extract maximum value from our marine resources through the most efficient and innovative methods. The advanced rigs provided by ADNOC Drilling will support our production capacity goals and global energy demand, while also accelerating our technology integration and operational efficiency through strategic collaboration.”
The rigs are expected to be added gradually to ADNOC’s fleet between 2027 and 2028. Their development will take place in partnership with Honghua Group in a strategic collaboration that will leverage both companies’ expertise to integrate transformative AI, advanced digitalization, and real-time analytics into rig design and operations.
The rigs will feature technologies that enable real-time performance monitoring, predictive analytics, and enhanced safety and efficiency, ultimately reducing downtime, emissions, and operating costs. Designed specifically for use on ADNOC’s artificial islands—where record-setting wells have been drilled, including a 53,000-foot well delivered recently—they will also support extended-reach drilling and seamless movement between well slots without disassembly.
Current estimates indicate that the capital expenditure for these new rigs will be largely comparable to that of the three rigs announced in July 2024.