Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has revealed that its onshore Shah Field has attained an industry-leading carbon intensity of 0.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent (kgCO2e/boe), establishing a new benchmark among global oil fields. This significant milestone highlights ADNOC’s dedication to producing some of the world’s least carbon-intensive oil and gas.
ADNOC’s Shah oil field overview
Located 230 kilometers south of Abu Dhabi, ADNOC’s Shah oil field boasts a production capacity of approximately 70,000 barrels of crude oil per day (kbpd), sufficient to power more than one million cars in the UAE.
Achieving the milestone
The field reached this remarkable milestone through optimized field development, the deployment of digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced technologies aimed at maximizing efficiencies while minimizing emissions. Additionally, the field benefits from ADNOC’s electrification of its onshore assets, which are powered by nuclear and solar energy sources.
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Insights from ADNOC leadership
Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Upstream CEO, stated, “Technology is essential to ADNOC’s journey towards net zero, and this milestone at Shah demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and innovation. By leveraging advanced solutions including AI, digitalization, remote operations, and predictive data analytics, we are optimizing operational performance while significantly reducing emissions, reinforcing our position as provider of some of the world’s least carbon-intensive oil and gas. We will continue to innovate to decarbonize our operations and future-proof our business while ensuring a reliable energy supply to meet global demand.”
Advanced technologies in use
Among the technologies deployed at the field is liquid ejector technology—an advanced system designed to recover and reuse gas that would otherwise go to waste, thus saving power and reducing emissions. Another key innovation is ADNOC’s AI-enabled Centralized Predictive Analytics Diagnostics (CPAD) program, which minimizes maintenance and downtime while enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
ADNOC’s carbon intensity achievements
In 2023, ADNOC achieved an upstream carbon intensity of approximately 7 kgCO2e/boe, positioning the company among the top tier of the lowest-carbon-intensity oil and gas producers globally. Furthermore, ADNOC reported a reduction of 6.2 million tonnes of CO2e in scope 1 and 2 emissions, which includes around 4.8 million tonnes attributable to utilizing clean grid energy sourced from solar and nuclear power.
