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Desert oilfields of Abu Dhabi

The desert oilfields of Abu Dhabi are operated by the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations, ADCO, a company which retains environmental staff to advise on appropriate practice in the oilfields. Access to wells around the oilfields is by 4WD vehicle which are restricted to following a network of graded sand tracks, thereby protecting the fragile ecology. The vegetation cover in Bu Hasa is mostly less than one per cent of the total surface area.

Abu Dhabi has 13 producing fields, while Dubai has five fields. The average well productivity is about 1,500 barrels a day per well. Abu Dhabi’s giant Bu Has a field produces about 450,000 barrels per day. Its Upper and Lower Zakum fields collectively produce about 800,000 barrels per day or 15% of the UAE’s total production. Bab, Umm-Shaif and Asab are Abu Dhabi’s other giant fields.

Dubai’s Fateh and Rashid fields account for almost all of its 315,000 barrels per day production. Both Dubai fields are now deemed to be in decline. The Zakum fields are planned to have a sizeable investment program to increase their productive capacity. Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s 19 oilfields produce about 2.4 million barrels per day from approximately 1,400 wells, making their average production about 1,600 barrels per well.