Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Crude Oil and Natural Gas Liquids Country Notes

The United Arab Emirates comprises Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ajman and Fujairah. Exploration work in the three last-named has not found any evidence of oil deposits on a commercial scale. On the other hand, the four emirates endowed with oil resources have, in aggregate, proved reserves on a massive scale, in the same bracket as those of Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. Abu Dhabi has by far the largest share of UAE reserves and production, followed at some distance by Dubai. The other two oil-producing emirates are relatively minor operators.

The UAE's proved oil reserves at end-2005 are quoted by OAPEC as 97.8 billion barrels, a level virtually unchanged since 1990. According to OPEC, quoting the same total figure, Abu Dhabi accounts for 94.3% of proved reserves, Dubai for 4.1%, Sharjah for 1.5% and Ras al-Khaimah for 0.1%.
Total crude output (including a considerable amount of production offshore) amounted to about 2.75 million b/d in 2005, of which the bulk was exported, almost all to Japan and other Asia/Pacific destinations. The UAE has been a member of OPEC since 1967 and is also a member of OAPEC.