ADNOC Sanctions Ruwais Diyab, 345 MMscfd Unconventional Gas From 2029

By Daniel Okafor

ADNOC has taken final investment decision on Ruwais Diyab, an unconventional gas development that will deliver 345 MMscfd of raw gas from 2029. The company announced the sanction at ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi. That volume, sustained over a 25-year span, is enough to feed a large LNG train continuously for a quarter of a century. ADNOC said the project could ultimately reach 1 bscfd — roughly triple the startup plateau.

The state producer framed the decision as part of a broader plan. It described Ruwais Diyab as "advancing its integrated global gas growth strategy and unlocking a new source of reliable energy for the domestic and international markets."

What does the FID cover?

The development will produce raw gas from unconventional reservoirs in Abu Dhabi. ADNOC will process the gas on site and connect it to the UAE's gas network through new pipeline infrastructure. The stated purposes are domestic supply and the company's LNG export plans.

FID followed technical studies, field testing, and subsurface analysis. ADNOC Onshore delivered that work under a design-build-operate model. The stated aim was to reduce development risk before sanction — a sensible sequence, and one that more operators should copy.

The takeaway: this is a sanctioned project with a startup date, not appraisal-stage speculation.

Where does Ruwais LNG fit?

ADNOC's 9.6-million tonne/year Ruwais LNG project sits downstream of the gas push. It will be the region's first all-electric LNG plant, with commercial production expected by second-half 2028. The plant will more than double ADNOC Gas PLC's LNG production.

The sequencing matters. Ruwais LNG starts up in 2028; Ruwais Diyab feeds gas from 2029. ADNOC is stacking supply behind demand rather than ahead of it.

The takeaway: one LNG build, one gas source, one shared export ambition.

What about the rich-gas expansion?

Earlier this year ADNOC took FID on Phases 2 and 3 of its rich-gas development project. It also let an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to Tecnimont SPA, a subsidiary of Maire SPA. ADNOC calls the project its largest-ever gas processing expansion.

Add it up. In one year ADNOC has sanctioned unconventional supply, a gas processing expansion, and continues building an all-electric LNG plant. Few national companies are moving at this pace on gas.

The takeaway: three sanctioned gas projects in a single cycle is a portfolio, not a bet.

How big is the resource base?

The UAE holds the seventh-largest gas reserves in the world, according to ADNOC. The company counts 298 tscf of conventional gas and 160 tscf of unconventional gas resources. The unconventional figure — 160 trillion cubic feet — is nearly four times the conventional reserves of many mid-tier producers.

Ruwais Diyab at 345 MMscfd, with upside to 1 bscfd, represents a first commercial bite at that resource. Note the word "potential" attached to the 1 bscfd figure. That is a target, not a commitment.

The takeaway: the resource is large; the sanctioned slice, so far, is modest.

What to watch

The watch items are concrete. First, the 2029 startup date for Ruwais Diyab's 345 MMscfd. Second, first commercial output from the 9.6-million tonne/year Ruwais LNG plant in second-half 2028. Third, execution on the Tecnimont-built rich-gas expansion, which will test whether the largest-ever processing claim holds. ADNOC has sanctioned the volumes. Now it must drill, build, and deliver them on schedule — the part that separates announcements from barrels.