ADNOC Drilling has delivered the first offshore integrated drilling services (IDS) well in the Umm Lulu oil field in Abu Dhabi, UAE for ADNOC Offshore, ahead of schedule and within budget.

Both the companies are subsidiaries of the UAE-based state-owned oil and gas company – Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Prior to the completion of the IDS well at the Umm Lulu oil field, ADNOC Drilling delivered 14 onshore IDS wells this year to mark its transformation into a fully integrated drilling services provider that undertakes start-to-finish drilling and well construction operations.

Commenting on the IDS well completion at the  Umm Lulu oil field, Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy – ADNOC Upstream Executive Director, said: “Our first offshore IDS well and the 14 onshore IDS wells drilled over the course of this year have shown an increase in our drilling performance by about 25 percent, resulting in considerable cost savings and increased well profitability. The successful offshore well completion was delivered in record-breaking time, as were the previous onshore IDS wells.

“This milestone firmly positions ADNOC Drilling as a leading provider of comprehensive drilling and well construction services. It  also positions ADNOC Drilling as the first national integrated drilling company in the region at an important time, when we are substantially expanding our oil production capacity, unlocking Abu Dhabi’s vast conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, and driving efficiencies across all of our operations to deliver more value to the UAE and our partners.”

ADNOC Drilling delivers first offshore IDS well at Umm Lulu oil field. Photo courtesy of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

ADNOC is looking to grow its conventional drilling operations by 40% by 2025 and significantly boost the number of its unconventional wells, in order to increase its oil production capacity to four million barrels per day by the end of next year and five million by 2030.

The company said that integrating new drilling and completion capabilities helps its subsidiary ADNOC Drilling to capitalize on the growth while supporting the group to gain more value from all the barrels of oil it produces.

Abdalla Saeed Al Suwaidi – CEO of ADNOC Drilling, commenting on the IDS well completion at the  Umm Lulu oil field, said: “Extending our comprehensive oilfield service offering to offshore wells less than a year after commencement of our transformation to an IDS company is an important milestone for ADNOC. This achievement, which followed our strategic partnership with Baker Hughes, a GE company, further strengthens our pivotal role in enabling ADNOC’s planned increase of hydrocarbon production capacity across its onshore and offshore fields.”