Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. restores full capacity at major refinery after Iranian attacks disrupted UAE energy sector

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has fully restored a major oil refinery that was knocked offline during the regional conflict with Iran, marking one of the most significant milestones in the UAE’s energy recovery since hostilities began in late February 2026.

The restoration caps months of intensive repair work across ADNOC’s sprawling infrastructure, which took substantial hits during Iranian attacks throughout March and April.

Recovery outpaces expectations at Habshan

The standout data point in ADNOC’s recovery has been the Habshan gas processing complex. ADNOC Gas reported that the facility reached 85% gas supply restoration by early August 2026, beating its own target of 80% by year-end.

The complex has capacity of 6.1 billion standard cubic feet per day across 14 processing trains, making it one of the largest gas processing facilities in the world.

Multiple incidents in April disrupted operations at the complex. Full capacity at Habshan is now expected by 2027.

Separately, Emirates Global Aluminium successfully restarted its Al Taweelah alumina refinery, reaching roughly 50% of output capacity by late August after earlier shutdowns.

The regional picture is less rosy

Middle Eastern refinery throughput currently sits at approximately 7.3 million barrels per day. Before the conflict, that figure was 9.9 million barrels per day.

Full normalization of regional refining operations is not expected until Q2 2027, with a gradual ramp starting in Q4 2026.

Brent crude prices have surged approximately 40% since the conflict began on February 28, 2026.

What the conflict did to energy infrastructure

Iranian attacks began targeting UAE energy infrastructure in the weeks following the conflict’s onset, with the most significant damage occurring in March and April 2026.

ADNOC’s Ruwais refining complex experienced disruptions alongside the Habshan gas operations. Recovery at Ruwais has progressed, though the facility’s full return to pre-conflict output levels remains part of the broader Q2 2027 timeline.

What this means for global energy markets

The gap between 7.3 million barrels per day and the pre-war 9.9 million barrels per day remains. Full normalization is not expected until Q2 2027.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Stakeholders tracking the recovery should watch ADNOC’s quarterly production updates for signs that the 2027 full-capacity timeline is holding.

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