July 07, 2026 [Storage Terminals Magazine]- ADNOC has signed a 15-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with INPEX CORPORATION, Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, for the supply of 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Ruwais LNG project.

The agreement was announced during a visit to Japan by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and Executive Chairman of XRG. The visit included meetings with senior Japanese government and business leaders aimed at strengthening the long-standing energy partnership between the United Arab Emirates and Japan, which spans more than six decades.

According to ADNOC, the agreement is the first long-term LNG supply contract announced following the launch of ADNOC and XRG’s integrated global LNG marketing and trading platform. The company said the new platform is designed to expand market access, increase commercial flexibility and strengthen the global reach of its LNG business.

Nasser Al Muhairi, acting CEO of ADNOC Downstream Industry, Marketing & Trading and Chairman of Ruwais LNG, said the agreement supports the continued commercialisation of the Ruwais LNG project while reinforcing market confidence in the development. He added that, as ADNOC and XRG target a combined marketable LNG capacity of 47 mtpa by 2035, the Ruwais LNG facility will play a key role in supplying reliable, flexible and lower-carbon LNG to customers across Asia and other international markets.

The agreement also strengthens the long-standing relationship between ADNOC and INPEX. It aligns with INPEX Vision 2035, the company’s long-term strategy announced in February 2025, which includes expanding its LNG portfolio and increasing supply flexibility by complementing production from its own LNG projects. INPEX has been an upstream partner of ADNOC for many years and holds interests in several of Abu Dhabi’s offshore and onshore oil and gas concessions.

The LNG supplied under the agreement will primarily come from the Ruwais LNG project, currently under development in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Abu Dhabi. Commercial operations are expected to begin in 2028, with the project representing another milestone in ADNOC’s strategy to expand its global LNG business and strengthen its position as a supplier of lower-carbon LNG.

To date, approximately 90 percent of the project’s planned production capacity of 9.6 mtpa has been committed to international customers across Asia and Europe through long-term supply agreements. Once operational, the Ruwais LNG facility is expected to become the first LNG export plant in the Middle East and Africa to operate using clean power, positioning it among the world’s lowest-carbon intensity LNG production facilities. The project will also incorporate artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies to enhance operational efficiency, improve safety and reduce emissions.

In a related development, ADNOC Gas announced in November 2024 that it expects to acquire ADNOC’s 60 percent stake in the Ruwais LNG project at cost, estimated at approximately US$5 billion, in 2028. The project will comprise two liquefaction trains, each with a capacity of 4.8 mtpa, bringing total production capacity to 9.6 mtpa. Upon completion, the acquisition is expected to more than double ADNOC Gas’ operated LNG production capacity to around 15 mtpa, significantly strengthening its position in the global LNG market.