ADNOC Drilling ready to raise production capacity above 5 million bopd

ABU DHABI, May 12, 2026 – ADNOC Drilling is prepared to support an expansion of the UAE’s oil production capacity beyond the country’s 2027 target of 5 million bopd, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

In an interview with Reuters, ADNOC Drilling CFO Youssef Salem said the company already reached 142 deployed rigs by 2025, surpassing an earlier target of 127 rigs by 2030. Salem said the company has secured rig supply and technology partnerships with Baker Hughes, SLB and Patterson-UTI to meet future demand.

“We are ready to deliver any production capacity that ADNOC needs,” said Salem. “We have multiple providers from China and elsewhere to bring in the rigs, we have the technologies, we have multiple partnerships.”

Salem added that ADNOC Drilling has nearly completed 100 first-phase wells for unconventional projects and hydraulically fractured more than 60 wells. The UAE, which exited OPEC on May 1, could raise production capacity to 6 million bopd if needed, according to statements by energy minister Suhail Al Mazrouei in 2025.

ADNOC Drilling also said its rig operations had not been disrupted by the ongoing tensions in the Gulf due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, and that the company had maintained 98% rig availability during the quarter. The company said it uses land transport routes, Fujairah port facilities and an inventory buffer to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi-listed ADNOC Drilling provides drilling, oilfield and integrated energy services with one of the region’s largest drilling fleets, supporting ADNOC’s oil and gas production strategy via partnerships with international oilfield service providers and technology companies.

Photo courtesy of ADNOC Drilling

Read our latest insights on: