SNOC Awards SLB Expanded UBCTD Contract to Accelerate Gas Development & Storage in Sharjah
Published on 10 November 2026
SNOC Awards SLB Expanded Underbalanced Coiled Tubing Drilling Contract to Accelerate Gas Development and Storage in Sharjah
Expanded agreement, signed at ADIPEC 2026, extends advanced drilling technology to the SNOC gas fields in 2027
Sharjah, UAE – Nov. 10, 2026 – Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) has awarded SLB an expanded framework agreement for Underbalanced Coiled Tubing Drilling (UBCTD). The new campaign is roughly twice the size of the first, which exceeded its drilling and production targets. Starting in 2027, it will cover new development phases at the Moveyeid gas storage field and the Hedebah gas field, strengthening the resilience of Sharjah’s gas supply.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2026 by H.E. Khamis Al Mazrouei, CEO of SNOC, and Dany Rahal, UAE Managing Director at SLB.
The award follows the first integrated UBCTD campaign at Moveyeid in 2024. That campaign outperformed targets on both drilling performance and production, and it delivered higher well productivity, greater operational efficiency and lower costs.
H.E. Khamis Al Mazrouei, CEO of SNOC, said: “Our first UBCTD campaign in Moveyeid showed what advanced technology, operational expertise and strong collaboration can achieve together. Having exceeded our targets across drilling and production, we are pleased to continue our partnership with SLB on an expanded scope. This next phase builds on that experience to maximize the potential of our assets, strengthen Sharjah’s energy security and enhance the resilience of its gas infrastructure.”
Dany Rahal, UAE Managing Director at SLB, said: “The first campaign demonstrated the value underbalanced coiled tubing drilling can bring to these reservoirs. This expanded scope gives us the opportunity to build on that work with SNOC, applying our drilling technology and expertise across both gas storage and development to enhance reservoir access and well performance.”
UBCTD keeps wellbore pressure below reservoir pressure during drilling. This helps minimize formation damage from drilling fluids and allows multilateral well sections to be drilled into high-quality reservoir rock. At Moveyeid, this improves how quickly gas can be injected into and withdrawn from storage. At Hedebah, it supports more productive gas wells. Under the agreement, SLB will provide integrated project management and execution of coiled tubing drilling services.
The expanded partnership reflects SNOC’s continued investment in advanced technology and strategic partnerships to unlock the full potential of Sharjah’s natural gas resources.
