SNOC says UAE can have a 100-Kilometre pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz

Abu Dhabi: Homes and businesses in Sharjah and across the UAE could benefit from greater protection against supply disruptions through plans to establish a roughly 100-kilometre pipeline corridor bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, alongside efforts to expand domestic gas production in support of the UAE’s goal of achieving gas self-sufficiency by 2030.

“We can have the shortest bypass to the Strait of Hormuz,” H.E. Khamis Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), told Gulf News. “We are willing to provide this to the globe to improve the resilience of supplies.”

The corridor would carry crude and refined products from Al Hamriyah port to Kalba, Khor Fakkan or Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman. Discussions with partners, customers and suppliers are under way, he said.

He said, the stakes reach well beyond the UAE, stating that the region supplies energy to the whole world, hence the disruption there, such as during the geopolitical situation, affected the globe. He raised this as a reason to strengthen energy resilience and business continuity.

Keeping the gas flowing at home

For residents, the priority is simple: gas that is there when it is needed, including in the heat of summer.

Al Mazrouei said the approach rests on three steps: finding more gas, storing it, and linking up with neighbours.

Reserves are held underground to cover peak summer demand and any disruption, and long-term contracts and network links with ADNOC and other regional players back them up.

“Whether the gas comes from our fields, from strategic reserves under our ground, or from a reliable supplier through a reliable network, supplies are always available,” he said.

Al Hadiba: a team effort under pressure

The newest source is the Al Hadiba gas field. Phase one was completed in just under 30 months from discovery, ahead of schedule, despite disrupted supply chains, Al Mazrouei said. He credited the engineers and partners behind it. “We beat it, and we did it on time.”

Phase two will add horizontal laterals to existing wells, a technique that raised output at a gas storage field by about 300 per cent in 2024. The field is due to reach plateau production in 2028, when the company aims to quadruple current output and, over the long term, supply about a third of Sharjah’s gas needs.

Technology that puts people’s experience to work

Artificial intelligence is helping the team work faster. Engineers now use a copilot to draw on four decades of accumulated data, and guided seismic helped drillers hit the most productive zones at Al Hadiba. A major digital upgrade goes live in a few weeks.

“Hopefully, in a few years, some of our operations will be autonomous,” Al Mazrouei said.

A national strength

Asked about the biggest challenge ahead, Al Mazrouei pointed to the speed of change.

 “Now, even with AI, it’s much faster,” he said. He sees the UAE as ready for it, pointing to its record of early adoption of AI and renewable energy. “Transformation, adaptability and resilience are in our DNA.”