Sharjah accelerates gas resilience with expanded drilling partnership

Sharjah National Oil Corporation deepens its commitment to advanced energy infrastructure by expanding its collaboration with SLB on breakthrough drilling technology at its Moveyeid and Hedebah gas fields.

The success of a pioneering drilling campaign often opens doors to greater ambition. So it has proved for Sharjah National Oil Corporation, which has expanded its partnership with SLB to deploy underbalanced coiled tubing drilling technology across two of its most strategically important gas assets.

The expanded framework agreement, signed by Khamis Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive of SNOC, and Dany Rahal, UAE Managing Director at SLB, marks a significant step in Sharjah’s evolving energy strategy. Beginning in 2027, the new campaign will be roughly twice the scale of the initial project completed in 2024, extending across both established and newly developed reserves.

The first integrated underbalanced coiled tubing drilling campaign at Moveyeid, completed in 2024, delivered remarkable results. It exceeded both drilling and production targets, improved well productivity, enhanced operational efficiency and reduced costs. These outcomes demonstrated the value of combining precision technology with collaborative operational expertise. Al Mazrouei reflected on this achievement, noting that the first campaign validated the benefits of advanced technology paired with close partnership and deep operational knowledge. The expanded phase, he explained, will build on these foundations to maximise the potential of SNOC’s assets and strengthen Sharjah’s energy security.

Underbalanced coiled tubing drilling works by maintaining pressure inside the wellbore below reservoir pressure during the drilling process. This controlled approach minimises the formation damage that drilling fluids can cause, while allowing multilateral well sections to be drilled into high quality reservoir rock. At Moveyeid, the technology accelerates the speed at which gas can be injected into and withdrawn from storage, a crucial capability for managing supply resilience. At the newly developed Hedebah field, it supports higher productivity from individual gas wells.

The expanded partnership reflects a broader pattern of strategic investment across Sharjah’s energy sector. Earlier this year, SNOC established a strategic partnership with Equinor to explore downstream opportunities, while forging a collaboration with ADNOC Gas to enhance regional gas supply security. These initiatives form part of an integrated approach to leveraging advanced technologies and strategic alliances to maximise the emirate’s natural gas resources.

Under the agreement, SLB will provide integrated project management and execute the coiled tubing drilling services, applying its drilling technologies and expertise to improve both reservoir access and well performance across the gas storage and development operations.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

For the broader United Arab Emirates, Sharjah’s investment in advanced drilling technology and strategic partnerships reflects a unified national commitment to energy resilience and technological progress. The expansion of proven drilling capabilities supports the wider energy security of the region, ensuring that natural gas infrastructure can respond to growing demand with greater efficiency and reliability.

The success of these projects demonstrates the value of collaborative partnerships between national oil companies and international technology leaders. This model of strategic collaboration, combined with investment in cutting edge operational methods, strengthens the foundation of the UAE’s energy sector and positions the nation’s continued prosperity on proven, advanced techniques.

Source: WAM