Adnoc Finalizes Ruwais Crude Flexibility Project

17 Nov 2023 Issue: 66 / 46 By: Jamie Ingram

Commissioning of Adnoc’s Crude Flexibility Project is imminent, enabling Adnoc to switch out Murban crude from its Ruwais West refinery for heavier barrels. Crude differentials mean that the economic case for making the switch is currently limited.

Abu Dhabi state energy firm Adnoc is finalizing its $3.5bn crude flexibility project (CFP) which is intended to free up additional volumes of its flagship Murban grade for export. The multi-year project to upgrade the 417,000 b/d Ruwais West refinery to run on heavier grades is nearing completion and could have a profound impact on the balance of crude exports from the UAE in 2024.

Ruwais West currently runs entirely on a feedstock of light crude, primarily Adnoc’s Murban (40°API, 0.7% sulfur) and domestically produced condensate alongside modest volumes of imported cargoes such as CPC blend from Kazakhstan. With the neighboring Ruwais East refinery’s 140,000 b/d CDU also running on Murban (the plant also has two condensate splitters totaling 280,000 b/d), as much as 557,000 b/d of Abu Dhabi’s premium crude is refined domestically rather than exported. (CONTINUED - 1486 WORDS)