The United Arab Emirates will double its capacity to export crude oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz by next year, as it seeks to reduce reliance on the shipping chokepoint.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. is accelerating the construction of a pipeline that runs to Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from the emirate’s media office posted on X. The company already operates a 1.5 million barrel-a-day pipeline from its oil fields to the port on the eastern coast, a link that has proven to be a lifeline for the country during the conflict.
Existing pipeline helps UAE maintain crude supplies
The existing pipeline has helped the UAE continue to supply markets even as Iran practically shut the normal route through the Strait of Hormuz soon after the war began at the end of February. The link, however, can carry less than half of Adnoc’s normal export volumes, likely affecting the country’s oil revenue.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only major Gulf producers able to get significant quantities of crude to market during the war. State oil companies of both countries have quietly managed to ship some cargoes out of the Gulf in recent weeks, avoiding the Iranian blockade.
