Lower emissions and greater efficiency in UAE oilfields

UAE

Abdourazak Kone, general manager of Emirates Western Oil Well Drilling & Maintenance Company, talks to The Energy Year about devising lower-emissions solutions for the UAE’s oilfields and pursuing efficiency gains through AI applications. Emirates Western is an oilfield services company specialising in cementing, stimulation, coiled tubing and marine services.

What have been the operational priorities for Emirates Western in 2024?
In 2024, we focused on executing our ongoing projects for offshore stimulation and the startup of cementing, where we still need to keep building up our capabilities. We also continued serving our ever-growing ADNOC rig count for our downhole tool business, which keeps increasing due to the demand from ADNOC affiliates.
Also, we have been delivering a lot of oilfield chemicals to ADNOC’s operations, and we were very busy preparing a couple of rounds of tenders for some key projects for unconventional drilling for ADNOC. We entered into some partnerships to be able to participate in this opportunity.

How is your cementing business progressing?
We started a cementing project with ADNOC in 2022, and we are currently working on introducing new technology through partnerships with some of the suppliers. The technical challenges are growing, so we’ll have to find more technology providers. We are open-minded about it, and we believe we will manage to ensure better well integrity and reduce the CO2 emissions related to cementing.

How important is AI going to be in the years to come for oilfield services companies?
AI is a disruptive technology that is going to be key for increasing productivity. Many companies are looking at AI to enhance their efficiency and capabilities. We need to offer it to our customers and make sure that, whatever the application, we are giving them the best solution.
We have started contacting AI companies to set up partnerships for internal applications, such as predictive maintenance, and we hope to develop something that, later on, we can provide to the market.

As Emirates Western marks its 40th anniversary in 2024, what do you think has been the key to your success?
You need to have a founder with a vision and the stamina to support the company through the ups and downs of a volatile industry such as oil and gas. Persistence is a key ingredient for the long-term success of any company, but I would say it’s more important in the oilfield due to the volatility of the prices affecting the activity.
Also, to be sustainable as a local company, you need to be sure to remain aware of the newest technologies and applications. ADNOC always has challenging projects, and to compete against big multinationals you need to have an equivalent offering. Then, sometimes you have to strive for superiority and cement your position there. These are the keys, I would say, to keeping a local company on top of the game for 40 years.

Where would you like to see the company five years from now?
Our vision has to be in line with the vision of the country and the vision of our customers. And we believe that there are a few key elements that could carry the company forward for another 40 years and beyond.
One of them is sustainability, making sure that we contribute to reducing emissions, be they CO2, methane or any other emissions that can be harmful to the environment. We also need to consider carbon capture projects very seriously and look for partners in that segment, and we need to start tackling the important challenge of electrifying equipment. This is what our long-term plans call for.
Last but not least, we need to see how AI can give us an edge in productivity, internally. Once we have had some success there, we can propose it to our customers as well, so that they can enjoy the same benefits. In short, what we are looking at is sustainability and embracing technology that delivers maximum oil with minimum emissions.

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