Zhenhua Oil Doubles ADNOC Offtake, Steps In as Lead at Bu Hasa
China’s Zhenhua Oil is doubling crude offtake from the UAE to 200,000 barrels per day under a new agreement. The firm also becomes asset leader at Abu Dhabi’s Bu Hasa—one of the region’s largest onshore fields—signaling tighter energy integration.
Reuters reported that Zhenhua will add 100,000 bpd to its existing 100,000 bpd offtake from ADNOC, lifting total UAE volumes to 200,000 bpd by around year-end. The expanded arrangement follows Zhenhua’s selection earlier in the year to take over asset leadership at Bu Hasa, stepping in after a competitive bid process.
The move is set to deepen Zhenhua’s role in the Murban crude ecosystem and supply chain visibility in Abu Dhabi. Reuters further noted the company’s plans to bolster on-the-ground trading presence, a sign of longer-run commercial commitments and integration with ADNOC’s production and marketing cadence.
For the UAE, the scale-up locks in a larger, stickier Chinese demand anchor and diversifies operational collaboration beyond simple lifter-supplier dynamics. It also complements UAE portfolio aims across downstream, petrochemicals, and future fuels—areas where Chinese firms bring industrial policy experience and manufacturing heft.
