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Everyone wants a piece of Ruwais: UK oil and gas giant Shell and French TotalEnergies are reportedly vying for a stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (Adnoc) Ruwais liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, as well as purchasing its LNG output, {Bloomberg} reports, citing sources familiar with the talks. In addition to being among the bidders for a stake in the LNG project, Japanese trading firm Mitsui & Co. is also reportedly negotiating to purchase LNG from Ruwais and snag a portion of the project’s equity, according to Bloomberg. However, no agreement had been reached as of yet, the firm said, according to Reuters.
What we know so far: Mitsui’s statement came in response to Japanese newspaper Nikkei reporting that Mitsui has agreed to invest “[JPY] tens of bns” to acquire 10% of the USD 7 bn Ruwais project, with Adnoc retaining 60%. The newswire also name-checked BP, Shell and TotalEnergies as potential investors in the plant.
Adnoc might give the bids a pass: The state-owned oil giant might opt to not sell equity in Ruwais as it “doesn’t require investments from the energy companies,” Bloomberg’s sources say. Adnoc intends to use its own funds to expand production at the Ruwais LNG project, with exports from the Ruwais site to commence in 2028. The project is expected to more than double the company’s LNG production capacity to 15 mn metric tons per year from 6 mn.
Where things stand with the Ruwais plant: Adnoc is nearing a final investment decision on the project, expected “as soon as next month,” according to Bloomberg’s sources. The business information service had earlier reported that the oil firm plans to reach a final investment decision on the project sometime in 1H 2024.
ICYMI- Adnoc’s gas arm plans to acquire the Ruwais LNG plant to help double its production capacity, and cater its product offering to the increased demand for lower-carbon solutions globally. With this acquisition, Adnoc Gas aims to double its LNG production capacity by 2028, as it looks to increase LNG export volumes to serve the growing global market, with the International Energy Agency expecting 2.5% y-o-y growth in global gas demand in 2024 as a transition fuel.
