ADNOC has purchased 11 very large crude and gas carriers for approximately $1.3 billion, continuing the Abu Dhabi national oil company's drive to expand its supertanker fleet and bolster both crude oil and LNG export capabilities.

ADNOC Logistics & Services plc announced on Friday that it had acquired five modern Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) and six Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) for a combined investment of about $1.3 billion. According to the company's press release, nine of the vessels — six VLCCs and three VLGCs — were purchased on the secondary market. These ships are scheduled for delivery this quarter and will enter service with ADNOC immediately upon delivery. The emphasis on secondhand acquisitions rather than newbuild orders reflects a push for near-term deployment, as new large-vessel construction typically requires multi-year lead times at shipyards with limited available slots.

The remaining two VLGCs are newbuild vessels secured through a resale transaction from a Chinese shipyard, with delivery expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. China is the world's largest shipbuilding nation by order volume, and resale slots at Chinese yards offer buyers a route to new tonnage without joining the back of a lengthy order book.

The fleet expansion is designed to strengthen ADNOC L&S's gas and crude oil shipping capacity, supporting the broader ADNOC Group's integrated value chain and its continued growth in production, trading, and export volumes, the company said in a statement. The strategy mirrors a broader pattern among Gulf national oil companies, such as Saudi Arabia's Bahri, of building in-house shipping arms to gain greater control over export logistics and reduce exposure to volatile freight markets.

ADNOC L&S currently owns over 340 vessels and operates an additional 600 chartered ships.

The acquisition follows ADNOC's order for newbuild LNG carriers placed last month. ADNOC Logistics and Services secured a $900-million order for four newbuild LNG carriers to expand its fleet, as Abu Dhabi's national oil company seeks to capitalize on rising global LNG demand and grow its international gas business. Together, the LNG carrier order and the latest VLCC and VLGC purchases represent more than $2 billion in recent shipping investments.

The United Arab Emirates has been adapting to disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz by routing tankers through the Strait in dark mode and increasingly offering crude grades for loading offshore Fujairah and at Sohar in Oman, bypassing the Strait entirely. The UAE managed to restore its oil exports to pre-crisis levels as early as June by continuing to move crude both through and around the Strait of Hormuz. Controlling a larger owned fleet provides ADNOC with greater operational flexibility to reroute cargoes and adjust loading schedules in response to such disruptions.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com