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Sheikh Zayed's vision

In the early 1970s, during a visit to an oil production facility, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE, noticed the flaring of associated gas into the atmosphere and asked why this was taking place.

When told that it was a standard practice in oil production, Sheikh Zayed expressed surprise that a valuable resource such as gas should just be burnt off wastefully. Surely the practice should be stopped and the gas put to more productive use?

This was later translated into a directive from HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to take all necessary steps to minimize the flaring of associated gases.

By laying the groundwork for natural gases to be captured and sold as fuel, this visionary decision has had a tremendous impact on protecting the country’s environment, and contributing to the nation’s impressive economic development, ultimately benefiting the citizens and residents of the UAE.

While extensive studies were showing that natural gas was one of the cleanest and most environment-friendly fuels available, several large industrialized countries were looking for a reliable, clean, and efficient energy supply to address their growing demands. Based on these factors, the decision was made to construct a gas liquefaction plant on Das Island, which was already the storage facility for offshore oil, ideally situated just 10 km from the Umm Shaif oilfield.

In 1972, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) signed a 20-year agreement to purchase the LNG to be produced at the plant for use in power generation in and around the Japanese capital. The next year, ADGAS was officially founded as a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mitsui & Co, BP, Total, and Bridgestone.

Later the same year, ADGAS was formally registered and the contract for the construction of the Das Island gas liquefaction plant was signed, with Sheikh Zayed doing the honor of laying the plant’s foundation stone.

ADGAS’ first shipment of LNG left Das Island on April 29, 1977, making ADGAS the pioneer of the Middle East’s gas liquefaction industry. Marking the occasion, Sheikh Zayed, who had maintained an active interest in ADGAS’ development, officially inaugurated the Das Island plant in October 1977.

More than 40 years after Sheikh Zayed’s astute observation, ADGAS continues to flourish as testimony to his far-sighted vision.