ExxonMobil deal on Upper Zakum oil field denied

The Abu Dhabi Supreme petroleum Council (SPC) denies a report carried by the press and international news agencies on June 19 and 20, claiming ExxonMobil winning an Abu Dhabi deal on the development of offshore Upper Zakum oil field.

The SPC announced yesterday that "the report is unfounded and baseless. The issue is still subject to competition between three firms namely Shell, BP and ExxonMobil," the SPA said. It also said that the declaration of the winner will take more than six months.