An Adnoc drilling rig in action. The company has helped customers save more than $250m since 2018 through its services. Image courtesy of Adnoc
An Adnoc drilling rig in action. The company has helped customers save more than $250m since 2018 through its services. Image courtesy of Adnoc
An Adnoc drilling rig in action. The company has helped customers save more than $250m since 2018 through its services. Image courtesy of Adnoc
An Adnoc drilling rig in action. The company has helped customers save more than $250m since 2018 through its services. Image courtesy of Adnoc

Adnoc Drilling awarded $3.8bn contract


Massoud A Derhally
  • English
  • Arabic

Adnoc Drilling, the largest national drilling company in the Middle East by rig fleet size, agreed a five-year $3.8 billion contract with Adnoc Onshore for the continued provision of drilling, workover and other well services, the company said on Thursday.

The drilling subsidiary of Adnoc said the newly awarded contract will drive efficiency in work crews, rig move time and maintenance scheduling.

“Adnoc Onshore is a valued and long-standing customer and this contract award further extends a 50-year profitable and unique partnership," Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Seiari, chief executive of Adnoc Drilling, said in a statement to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where the company's shares trade.

"We will continue to drive value for Adnoc and the UAE, delivering on the 2030 strategic production capacity and gas self-sufficiency targets. Advanced technologies and digitalisation are at the heart of this agreement, as Adnoc Drilling continues to improve efficiencies, drive further growth opportunities, while minimising our environmental footprint.”

Adnoc Drilling raised more than $1.1 billion in September from its initial public offering. The company reported a 48 per cent increase in third-quarter net profit, backed by its onshore and oilfield services segments. Net profit climbed to $178 million, from $120m in the same period a year earlier.

Adnoc maintains its majority 84 per cent stake in Adnoc Drilling, while US energy services company Baker Hughes, which entered into a strategic partnership with Adnoc Drilling in October 2018, has a 5 per cent stake and US contract oil and gas driller Helmerich & Payne holds 1 per cent.

After its IPO, Adnoc Drilling was included in three of FTSE Russell’s global indices – the FTSE Emerging Index, the FTSE Global Large Cap Index and the FTSE All-World Index. Adnoc Drilling is the only provider of fully integrated drilling services in the region and has helped companies save more than $250m since 2018, according to the statement.

The company owns 96 rigs and is the sole provider of drilling rig hire services and certain associated rig-related services to Adnoc.

Adnoc is investing $6 billion in drilling growth as it boosts its crude oil production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030.

Adnoc Drilling - in pictures

  • Adnoc Drilling is one of the largest drilling companies in the Middle East. Photo: Adnoc
    Adnoc Drilling is one of the largest drilling companies in the Middle East. Photo: Adnoc
  • An Adnoc Drilling rig. The company began operations in 1972 and currently operates 107 onshore, offshore and island rigs, of which 11 are rented. Photo: Adnoc
    An Adnoc Drilling rig. The company began operations in 1972 and currently operates 107 onshore, offshore and island rigs, of which 11 are rented. Photo: Adnoc
  • An old drill head at Adnoc's headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    An old drill head at Adnoc's headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Adnoc Drilling has expanded its fleet of rigs, adding 67 since 2010, in line with the growth in oil and gas production capacity at its parent company. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Adnoc Drilling has expanded its fleet of rigs, adding 67 since 2010, in line with the growth in oil and gas production capacity at its parent company. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • An Adnoc drilling rig. The company has achieved $2 billion in savings over the past five years through the use of technology. Photo: Adnoc
    An Adnoc drilling rig. The company has achieved $2 billion in savings over the past five years through the use of technology. Photo: Adnoc
  • Drilling equipment on an artificial Adnoc Drilling island. Photo: Adnoc
    Drilling equipment on an artificial Adnoc Drilling island. Photo: Adnoc
  • An Adnoc employee uses a training simulator used to enhance workplace safety. Photo: Adnoc
    An Adnoc employee uses a training simulator used to enhance workplace safety. Photo: Adnoc
  • An Adnoc artificial drilling island. The state oil company plans to raise production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030. Photo: Adnoc
    An Adnoc artificial drilling island. The state oil company plans to raise production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030. Photo: Adnoc
  • Adnoc Drilling made $281.6 million in net profit in the first half of 2021, with revenue hitting $1.12 billion. Photo: Adnoc
    Adnoc Drilling made $281.6 million in net profit in the first half of 2021, with revenue hitting $1.12 billion. Photo: Adnoc
  • Adnoc Drilling will offer a fixed dividend of $325m for the second half of 2021. Photo: Adnoc
    Adnoc Drilling will offer a fixed dividend of $325m for the second half of 2021. Photo: Adnoc
  • Equipment inspection at an Adnoc Drilling site. The company expects to increase its dividend by 5 per cent annually over the next five years, from $650m. Photo: Adnoc
    Equipment inspection at an Adnoc Drilling site. The company expects to increase its dividend by 5 per cent annually over the next five years, from $650m. Photo: Adnoc
  • Adnoc Drilling operates more than 9,600 wells across an area of 19,960 square kilometres. Photo: Adnoc
    Adnoc Drilling operates more than 9,600 wells across an area of 19,960 square kilometres. Photo: Adnoc
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Updated: December 09, 2021, 6:47 AM