Fast-track project expertise to unlock the UAE’s Ghasha gas

February 13, 2025

Diego Portoghese, managing director of Eni Abu Dhabi, Eni Sharjah and Eni RAK, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s success with fast-track development projects and co-operating with ADNOC in implementing decarbonisation technologies in the UAE’s landmark Hail and Ghasha project. Eni is an international integrated energy company with activities in oil and gas, petrochemicals, power and renewables.

Can you provide an overview of the role that Eni plays in the UAE’s energy industry?
The UAE is one of the countries where Eni participates in all the segments of the energy value chain. We entered the country in 2018 and we are present in oil and gas exploration, development and production activities in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
In the downstream, Eni has a stake in ADNOC Refining. It constitutes a large, important part of our refining capacity worldwide. We are involved in trading with ADNOC Global Trading, and we are also present in the chemicals business. The UAE is a very important country for Eni, and we are proud of the position we have taken in the country’s energy value chain in the past few years.

What have been the key developments for Eni’s upstream assets in the UAE?
Starting in 2018, we entered two big production areas – the Lower Zakum oilfield and the Umm Shaif and Nasr offshore concessions – and created a base load for our activities. Eni’s production will be further boosted in the coming years, thanks to the projects that ADNOC, as the operator, is running within the framework of the P5 production enhancement programme that the country is pursuing.
On the gas development side, I would emphasise Ghasha as a crucial concession that will play a key role in the years to come, with significant gas production expected. We also have the Dalma gas development, which will be the first one to come on line and will be followed by the Hail and Ghasha project, which is in the execution phase after being sanctioned in 2023. Both will be very important for the UAE’s gas growth targets and, for Eni, they will constitute a significant boost to our country’s equity production.
Regarding exploration efforts, it is important to highlight that Eni’s blocks in Abu Dhabi are located offshore in close proximity to existing facilities, which would allow us to fast-track projects in case of exploration success. We are proud of our focus on speedy delivery and the success we have had with fast-track projects around the world, for example in Egypt or Indonesia.

 

How do you assess the potential for natural gas to reshape the energy value chain in the UAE?
We can clearly see that Ghasha will be essential to increasing the country’s production, and we are happy to partner with ADNOC on such an important venture. We have all seen ADNOC’s upcoming initiatives regarding gas exports, and we support its commitment to natural gas as an energy transition fuel that can play a crucial role in the decarbonisation path.

What are some of Eni’s sustainability initiatives in the UAE?
On a global basis, Eni has strategic decarbonisation goals that are fully endorsed by every single affiliate, including in Abu Dhabi. In the UAE, our targets are aligned with ADNOC’s, and we very much welcome each of their decarbonisation initiatives.
Two key initiatives are linked to the Hail and Ghasha project. First, significant sequestration capabilities are embedded into the project’s design that will allow us to recover large volumes of carbon dioxide and store it securely in an underground reservoir onshore. Second, the project is designed to be connected to the grid and receive green power produced from renewables and nuclear. The project has been designed since the beginning with a very close eye on emission profiles.

How much scope is there for technology transfer within Eni’s UAE operations?
Technology transfer is a key element of our work in the UAE. We are partners, and sharing experience is important. Our people bring not only knowledge and experience but also their working culture. And what our people receive in return is exactly the same: experience, knowledge and culture. We enrich each other from a technological standpoint and a professional standpoint.
From an industrial standpoint, Eni sees great opportunity in each of the JVs where we have a chance to work with significant, relevant partners. We have had the privilege of working with top companies in our sector, and in the UAE there has always been the opportunity to discuss and find ways to co-operate with top-class players.

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