Sharjah's SNOC Says Hadiba Phase Two Will Lift Gas Output to Four Times Earlier Levels

Al Mazrouei told WAM that agreements SNOC signed at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2026 will support work on Hadiba's second phase. SNOC announced last month that it had completed the first phase. He did not say what the agreements were worth or name the counterparties.

He said SNOC had also signed agreements to develop the third phase of the Mahani field, which will help it meet rising demand for gas and support strategic gas storage and the company's ability to respond in a crisis. The Arabic-language WAM report names the field as Mawaid, a transliteration that may differ from SNOC's usual English spelling.

From Discovery to Production

SNOC completed the first phase at Hadiba, also spelled Hedebah, on October 27, according to World Oil and regional press reports at the time. The gas and condensate field was discovered in May 2024 northeast of the Sajaa gas field and reached first gas in less than a year. Several outlets reported that the first phase doubled Sharjah's gas production. World Oil reported that SNOC is working to raise output during 2027 and expects the field to reach stable production by 2028.

World Oil said the first phase was finished despite regional shipping disruptions and constraints on material supplies.

Three Pillars of Supply

Al Mazrouei said SNOC's energy security strategy has three parts: developing production close to where gas is used, storing gas strategically, and releasing it to the market when demand peaks or supply is interrupted for long periods. This was SNOC's eleventh appearance at ADIPEC, he said, and he argued that the UAE had shown it could keep energy supplies flowing at home, in the region and globally under exceptional geopolitical conditions.

He also pointed to SNOC's long-term gas supply contract with ADNOC Gas, which the company wants to renew through 2050. He added that SNOC is working to cut the emissions and carbon footprint of its operations by producing more gas and adding renewable energy, particularly solar.

Why It Matters

UAE electricity demand is expected to rise sharply over the coming decade, and data centres are a growing part of that demand. Speakers at ADIPEC this week, including Mitsubishi Power, have said much of that demand will need backup gas-fired generation. More gas produced and stored inside Sharjah reduces the northern emirates' dependence on supplies from elsewhere at a time when regional conflict has disrupted shipping and energy markets. Quadrupling output from a field discovered only in 2024 would make Hadiba an important source of domestic supply.