Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on August 17 announced that the $3.5-billion crude flexibility project (CFP) project at its 817,000 bpd Ruwais refining complex is 73% complete. This followed the installation of two new fractionators and 24 atmospheric residue desulfurizer reactors that will allow the refinery to process crudes other than ADNOC’s flagship light, sour Murban.
ADNOC has been mostly refining its high-valued Murban extracted from Abu Dhabi’s onshore fields. However, when the CFP is completed in 2022, Ruwais can process 420,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) of up to 50 types of heavy and sour crudes, including the Upper Zakum grade, extracted from the emirate’s offshore fields, which is sold at discounted prices to Murban.
The CFP was announced in 2018 as part of ADNOC’s plans to maximize the value of the emirate’s natural resources. It will enable ADOC to generate higher revenues by exporting more barrels of high-valued Murban which accounts for roughly 80% of the UAE’s total crude production.
