ADNOC to supply Thailand's Gulf Group up to 2 million tonnes of LNG
ADNOC signed a multi-year deal to send Gulf Group up to 2 million tonnes of LNG.
· Last verified: 5 Oct 2026 (WAM (Emirates News Agency), via Zawya)
Summary
- ADNOC signed a multi-year deal to send Gulf Group up to 2 million tonnes of LNG.
- Deliveries start in 2027, routed through ADNOC's trading arm set up this year.
- The contract locks in Asian demand before new UAE liquefaction capacity arrives.
The latest
Deliveries of up to 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas will flow from Abu Dhabi to Thailand starting in 2027, under a multi-year sale and purchase agreement ADNOC signed with Thai energy firm Gulf Group. The contract runs through ADNOC Trading. Nasser Al Muhairi said on behalf of ADNOC that the deal reinforces the company's standing as a reliable global LNG supplier.
Details
- The volume: The sale and purchase agreement covers up to 2 million tonnes of LNG over a multi-year term, with first deliveries scheduled for 2027, according to WAM. The announcement did not break the volume down by year or disclose pricing terms, indexation, or the full length of the contract.
- The buyer: Gulf Group is described as a major Thai energy company. Sarath Ratanavadi, chief executive of Gulf Development PCL, the group's parent entity, said the agreement supports Thailand's long-term energy security and diversification strategy and reflects growing confidence in ADNOC as a long-term LNG partner.
- The seller's framing: Al Muhairi said the contract deepens energy ties between the UAE and Thailand and supports Thai energy security needs, which he described as growing. ADNOC's statement positioned the deal as evidence of its reliability as a supplier rather than as a response to any specific shift in regional gas flows.
- The trading arm: The transaction was executed through ADNOC Trading, the company's commercial unit. ADNOC launched its global LNG trading platform from Abu Dhabi Global Market in July 2026, giving the company a dedicated vehicle for marketing cargoes directly to end buyers rather than relying on intermediaries.
- The capacity target: ADNOC is aiming to grow marketable LNG capacity to 47 million tonnes per annum beyond 2030, up from current levels, as part of a strategy to establish the UAE as a major global supplier alongside Qatar. No interim milestones toward that figure were specified.
- The pipeline: The Thai contract joins a series of long-term LNG supply deals ADNOC has signed with Asian buyers. The strategy is to secure offtake commitments in advance of new liquefaction capacity, including the Ruwais LNG project, coming online later this decade.
- The timing gap: Deliveries begin in 2027, while the capacity expansion ADNOC is marketing against is dated beyond 2030. The announcement did not specify which facilities will source the Thai volumes in the intervening years.
Background
Abu Dhabi has been building an LNG trading business separate from its traditional role as a crude exporter, using long-term Asian contracts to underwrite new liquefaction investment. Qatar remains the dominant Gulf LNG exporter by volume.
Between the lines
The sequencing is the point. ADNOC set up a trading platform in July, is targeting 47 million tonnes per annum after 2030, and is signing Asian offtake deals now. Locking in buyers before Ruwais and other capacity starts producing reduces the commercial risk on projects that have not yet come online, and gives the UAE a contracted customer base in a market Qatar currently leads.
What's next
Watch for the first cargo schedule under the Thai contract ahead of 2027 deliveries, further ADNOC offtake agreements with Asian buyers, and construction milestones at the Ruwais LNG project.