With a strong sense of mission to ensure stable product supply, the Cosmo Energy Group undertakes oil exploration as an important part of its business. Moreover, by earnestly engaging in environmental measures and conservation activities even at oil extraction sites, we aim to communicate our environmental commitment worldwide and help realize a sustainable society.
Oil Development That Considers the Surrounding Environment
Oil exploration involves risks that affect the environment at each stage of exploration, development, and production. We consider environmental conservation activities to be an important issue and are promoting initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible.
Our group company Abu Dhabi Oil secured rights for the Hail Oil Field in 2012 and has been producing oil there since November 2017. The sea around the Hail Oil Field is well known as a dugong habitat. As the field is now located in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, development is being carried out with greater consideration to the environment than ever before.
Before any new oil well development, a detailed environmental impact assessment is conducted and government approval is obtained. During development, a system is set up to inject wastewater generated during oil field drilling, along with residual soil and domestic wastewater, back into the ground. This results in a zero-discharge operation.
Additionally, silt curtains are installed to prevent any earth, sand, and muddy water generated during dredging and construction of artificial islands from drifting into the open ocean. In addition, we conduct environmental monitoring of air and water quality, as well as aquatic and bird life to ensure that our operations are not having a negative impact on nearby ecosystems.
Abu Dhabi Oil has been continuously implementing mangrove afforestation initiatives on Mubarraz Island since 2006. A blue carbon survey conducted in 2022 measured the mangrove forest’s cumulative CO₂ storage at 1,732 tons, with an annual carbon sequestration of approximately 37 tons, confirming significant carbon storage capacity in both the soil and biomass.
In addition, the mangrove forests contribute to coastal protection by reducing wave energy through their dense root systems and trunks, thereby mitigating coastal erosion and extending the lifespan of shoreline protection structures. They also support biodiversity restoration by providing habitats for a diverse range of fish, birds, and crustaceans.
This initiative was highly evaluated for "achieving CO2 emission reductions and coastal protection under harsh climatic conditions, while ensuring economic rationality through a combination of the natural functions of mangroves and engineering approaches." As a result, on December 5, 2025, the project was awarded the Minister of the Environment Award for Climate Action (FY2025).
For details, please see the Biodiversity Initiatives page.
Zero Flaring
In 2001, Cosmo Energy Exploration & Production became the first company in the Middle East to achieve zero flaring by recovering gas generated in tandem with oil production and injecting it back into underground oil reservoirs.
This system also helps prevent air pollution and reduce CO2 emissions. Currently, we have realized zero flaring at four locations in Abu Dhabi in the UAE (Mubarraz Island, West Mubarraz AR Site Terminal, Central Facilities Platform [CFP]. By also injecting CO2 underground for storage and utilization, this technology is highly compatible with carbon capture, (utilization) and storage (CCS/CCUS) initiatives, and promotes both environmental conservation and improved oil recovery rates.
We are leveraging our operational experience and technologies to develop and implement decarbonization technology in order to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
Ending flaring at Mubarraz Island
Before installation of zero flaring technology
After installation of zero flaring technology