Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s $3.5 billion (Dh12.8bn) crude flexibility project is 73 per cent complete, the company said.
The project allows for additional Abu Dhabi crude grades such as Upper Zakum to be processed alongside the flagship Murban crude at the Ruwais refinery.
The flexibility project will also allow for the processing of 50 other types of crude at the refining facilities.
"This investment is another step in our progress to develop Ruwais into a dynamic, global hub for downstream activity, further strengthening Adnoc's role as a key driver of the UAE's long-term industrial growth and economic diversification,” said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Adnoc Group chief executive.
Ruwais has been earmarked for a multibillion-dollar expansion from its current refining capacity of 922,000 barrels per day, which is already the world’s fourth largest, to 1.5 million bpd by 2025, making it the largest.
The UAE accounts for about 4 per cent of global oil production, much of it from onshore and offshore Abu Dhabi fields operated by Adnoc.
The company’s crude flexibility project, which was announced in 2018, allows it to refine 420,000 bpd of heavier and more sour grades of oil.
The project is expected to be completed by mid-2022, the company said.
Upon completion, Adnoc will be able to allocate more Murban crude for export. Murban is a light, sweet crude that fetches a higher price in export markets because it contains less sulphur and is easier to refine.
To expand the Ruwais refinery’s capacity to process different crudes, Adnoc has installed much of the required infrastructure.
South Korean-made fractionators required to separate component products from crude were installed in June and July.
Adnoc has increasingly made the development of its downstream sector a priority as it looks to earn more revenue from the export of crude and products.
In 2018, Adnoc invited international oil companies and financial institutions to invest about $45 billion (Dh165.3bn) to develop its downstream sector.
Last year, Italian energy major Eni took a 20 per cent stake while Austria's OMV took a 15 per cent stake in Adnoc’s refining unit.
The two companies also became part of a trading joint venture, Adnoc Global Trading, to sell products from the Ruwais refinery to customers in Asia.
In July, Adnoc formed a joint venture with Abu Dhabi’s state holding company ADQ to boost the manufacture of chemicals at Ruwais.
The companies will evaluate and invest in "select, anchor chemicals projects" and attract other investors to the industrial hub in the emirate's Al Dhafra region.
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Not Dark Yet
Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer
Four stars
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
