Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) state-owned oil company, decided to move up the schedule for building a new onshore pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office on the 15th (local time), Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan chaired an ADNOC board management meeting that day, received a briefing on the status of the East-West pipeline under construction with the goal of starting operations in 2027, and gave this instruction.
The UAE has operated the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline since 2012, connecting the Fujairah port oil complex on the Gulf of Oman with oil fields in the east. Its maximum daily throughput is about 1.8 million barrels.
However, with the Strait of Hormuz closed due to the Middle East crisis, it is difficult to handle all of the UAE's crude exports with only the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline. Before the war, the UAE's daily crude exports were 2.7 million to 3 million barrels.
When the East-West pipeline comes online, capacity will double from current levels, allowing export volumes to be met. The East-West pipeline will also lead to Fujairah port. With no clarity on when the Strait of Hormuz closure will end, the country appears to be accelerating expansion of onshore pipelines.