Local authorities were able to contain the fire that broke out at the hydrocarbon field development as a result of the drone strike, although operations remain suspended pending a situation assessment
Authorities in Abu Dhabi have contained a fire that broke out at the Shah hydrocarbon field development in the emirate following a drone attack on the facility late on 16 March.
Operations at the oil and gas field have been “temporarily suspended pending completion of the situation assessment and the necessary measures”, the official Emirates News Agency (Wam) reported.
No injuries were caused by the attack, which was understood to have been launched by Iran, Wam reported, citing the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The Shah onshore field development complex primarily consists of a major gas processing plant that is located 210 kilometres southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi. The Shah gas plant is operated by Adnoc Group subsidiary, Adnoc Sour Gas – a 60:40 joint venture of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and US energy company Occidental Petroleum (Oxy).
The Shah gas plant came online in 2015 with a processing capacity of 1.28 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d). It draws associated gas produced from the onshore Shah oil field, which has an output capacity of 70,000 barrels a day.
Adnoc Sour Gas undertook the Optimum Shah Gas Expansion (OGSE) project in 2021 to increase the Shah gas plant’s output to a potential 1.45 billion cf/d. Italian contractor Saipem was awarded a $510m contract in June of that year to execute EPC works on the project. The OGSE project is understood to have been commissioned.
In January 2025, Adnoc announced that the Shah field had achieved a carbon intensity of 0.1 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent.
The field reached this milestone through optimised field development and the deployment of digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to maximise efficiencies and minimise emissions. The field also benefits from Adnoc’s electrification of its onshore assets, which are powered by nuclear and solar energy sources.
Adnoc Sour Gas expects to raise the asset’s production potential to 1.85 billion cf/d through the Shah gas plant expansion project.
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