Jan 26 | 2022
Mugharraq Port Will Support Energy Firm’s Offshore Drilling Operations
AD Ports Group has penned a deal with Eni Abu Dhabi to create a maritime logistics base to support the company’s offshore drilling operations in the UAE’s western region of Al Dhafra.
The base will be established at Mugharraq Port, some 240 kilometres from Abu Dhabi city and close to the region’s offshore oil and gas facilities, as well as the key refining and petrochemical hub of Ruwais.
Eni Abu Dhabi, a unit of Italian energy giant Eni, will be granted access to Mugharraq’s infrastructure and facilities, including a dedicated quay wall, marshalling yard and onsite bulk plant facilities. The operator will also be provided with logistical equipment and manpower.
Mugharraq boasts six roll-on, roll-off berths, 480 metres of heavy-lift berths and a load-bearing factor capability of up to 15 tonnes per square metre to support breakbulk and heavy-lift activities.
The port can receive international and local vessels including container feeders, bulk and breakbulk carriers, mobile offshore drilling units, tugboats, chemical tankers, offshore support vessels, passenger ships and high-speed cargo crafts.
“It gives us great pleasure to welcome Eni Abu Dhabi, a major player in the world’s energy industry, who leads several offshore operations around the world, to join our flourishing industrial maritime community within the Al Dhafra region,” said Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster at AD Ports Group.
“Utilising the industry-leading infrastructure and service capability that we have on offer at Mugharraq Port, Eni will be able to operate in proximity to its offshore drilling facilities benefiting operational efficiency.”
State-controlled energy firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, or ADNOC, announced in early January it would invest nearly US$1 billion at the offshore Umm Shaif oilfield, part of a US$127 billion planned spending spree through 2026 to bolster its upstream, downstream and clean energy businesses.
Eni holds interests in several upstream and downstream assets in Abu Dhabi, including a 10 percent stake in Umm Shaif. The operator also holds a 20 percent share in ADNOC Refining, which controls three refineries in the Ruwais and Abu Dhabi areas.
Image: AD Port's Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi. CREDIT: AD Ports Group
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