The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has announced that it has signed a strategic framework agreement with Exxon Al Khalij Inc focused on exploring joint technology research and development (R&D) partnership opportunities across the oil and gas upstream value chain.

As part of the deal, the companies will identify areas of mutual interest for conducting R&D and co-developing technology solutions that will help increase upstream operational efficiencies, strengthen health, safety and environment management and unlock business value, ADNOC noted. Initial areas identified include advanced non-metallic solutions, field testing and integrity management, smart reservoir management and well monitoring systems and innovative emergency response systems, ADNOC outlined.

“We are excited to be expanding on our long-standing partnership to lay the foundation for ADNOC and ExxonMobil to share advanced technology learnings as well as accelerate the pace of technology development,” Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, the executive director of the people, technology and corporate support directorate at ADNOC, said in a company statement.

“This strategic partnership aligns with our broader focus to embed advanced technologies across ADNOC’s full value chain to drive greater cost and carbon efficiencies as we deliver on our 2030 smart growth strategy,” he added.

Christian Lenoble, ExxonMobil UAE’s lead country manager and the president of Exxon Al Khalij Inc, said, “ExxonMobil’s unique approach to research and working across all parts of the innovation stream puts us in an advantaged position to progress energy solutions from lab to field-scale”.

“We look forward to exploring R&D solutions with ADNOC to develop potential breakthroughs. Our discussions on R&D will also complement the technical contributions ExxonMobil has brought to the Upper Zakum concession since 2006,” he added.

The Upper Zakum oil field is the second largest offshore oil field and the fourth largest oil field in the world, ADNOC highlighted. The field’s joint venture partners, including ADNOC and ExxonMobil, are aiming to increase production capacity to one million barrels per day by 2024.