ADNOC Offshore has named NMDC Energy, McDermott International, and Saipem as the selected EPCI contractors for the Upper Zakum UZ 1.5MMBD project — a more than $10 billion offshore expansion targeting production capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day at the world's second-largest offshore oil field.
The project encompasses offshore processing facilities, wellhead platforms, utility and water injection systems, pipelines, and extensive brownfield integration, with phased delivery through 2027. Technip Energies led the pre-FEED and FEED phases. The contractor selection represents one of the largest single-field offshore expansion milestones in recent memory and underscores ADNOC's drive toward a national production target of 5 million bpd by 2027.
The selection cements Upper Zakum's artificial-island development model — pioneered during the UZ 750 phase completed in 2022 — as the centrepiece of Abu Dhabi's offshore growth strategy. Strategic partners ExxonMobil, INPEX, and JODCO retain equity stakes.
💡 Talent Market Impact: Three tier-one EPCI contractors mobilising concurrently creates fierce competition for experienced project engineers, construction superintendents, commissioning specialists, and HSE professionals — not only in Abu Dhabi but across fabrication yards in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. The brownfield integration scope further drives demand for personnel with existing asset familiarity. Intellis Global estimates the programme could absorb 2,000–3,000 skilled professionals at peak execution, compounding existing supply shortages across the Gulf's offshore workforce and pushing day rates for senior discipline engineers higher through 2027.
