TotalEnergies SE will invest in expanding the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, doubling its capacity to 3.6 million barrels per day, as the French energy group seeks to mitigate risks to Middle East oil transit routes. The announcement, made by CEO Patrick Pouyanne at the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) conference in Norway, follows recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.
The expansion will enhance the Fujairah pipeline’s role as an alternative export route, allowing crude shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz via the UAE’s Gulf of Oman coast. The pipeline currently carries up to 1.8 million barrels per day from Habshan to Fujairah. The UAE aims to double its export capacity by next year, with TotalEnergies joining as a partner in the project.
Pouyanne emphasized the strategic necessity of equity investments in alternative infrastructure, stating the company’s position as a major trader of Iraqi and Qatari oil. "It’s clear to me that I need to put a certain amount of equity to invest in an alternative route," he said. TotalEnergies will also maintain its investments in the Middle East despite regional conflicts, including the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, which has periodically paralyzed Hormuz transit.
