<article><p class="lead">Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc today said it has made a major gas discovery — its second ever find in the UAE's offshore exploration concessions.</p><p>The discovery is at the Eni-operated block 2, northwest of Abu Dhabi, at the same exploration well where <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2298277">the first find was made in February</a> this year. Adnoc said the latest discovery, from a deeper reservoir than the first, indicates reserves of 1 trillion-1.5 trillion ft³ of raw gas, taking total gas in place from the well to 2.5 trillion-3.5 trillion ft³.</p><p>The find verifies Adnoc's assertion in February that the interim results from the well, dubbed XF-002, indicated "multiple good quality gas reservoirs" in the 4,033 km² block.</p><p>Eni has a 70pc operating share in offshore block 2 and the adjacent offshore block 1, which were both awarded in January 2019 as part of Adnoc's first ever competitive exploration bid round. Thailand's state-controlled upstream company PTTEP is Eni's partner at the blocks, holding the remaining 30pc in each. Eni and PTTEP were also awarded the exploration license for offshore block 3 in December 2020. </p><p>These discoveries are the latest in a string of exploration successes for Adnoc and its international partners. <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2333238">In May 2022</a>, Adnoc announced three new oil discoveries, among them a 100mn bl discovery in onshore block 3, operated by US independent Occidental Petroleum. In <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2282953">December 2021</a>, Adnoc announced the discovery of up to 1bn bl of oil equivalent at Abu Dhabi's onshore block 4 by Japanese upstream firm Inpex, which Adnoc said comprised "substantial Murban oil resources."</p><p class="bylines">By Nader Itayim</p></article>
