UAE crude output falls by more than half as Hormuz closure forces shut-ins

By Yousef Saba and Florence Tan

March 16 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' daily oil output is down by more than half as the Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz forced state oil giant ADNOC to implement widespread production shut-ins, two sources told Reuters.

The halt of commercial navigation through the critical maritime chokepoint, which is normally used to transport about a fifth of the world's oil supply, has inflicted massive disruptions on global energy markets.

Earlier on Monday, sources told Reuters oil loading operations were suspended at the UAE's port of Fujairah, a major oil bunkering and storage hub, due to a drone attack. Operations had just resumed on Sunday following a separate attack over the weekend.

The UAE produced just under 3.4 million barrels per day in January, or more than 3% of global demand, according to secondary sources reporting to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which the UAE is the third-biggest producer.

WIDESPREAD MIDDLE EAST OIL PRODUCTION HALT

The two people familiar with the matter said the shut-ins - temporary well closures - affected both onshore and offshore production. They asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

ADNOC had said it is cutting offshore production, and sources have said all offshore production is now offline.

Before the war, ADNOC exported just over 1 million bpd of Upper Zakum crude, just under 700,000 bpd of Das Blend and about 230,000 bpd from the Umm Lulu field, Kpler data on the offshore production showed.

Exports of onshore Murban crude had jumped to about 1.5 million bpd in February from 1.135 million bpd in January, Kpler data showed.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's top producer, has cut production by about 20%, Reuters has reported. Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest member, has slashed output by some 70%. Total oil output cuts in the Middle East now stand at 7 million to 10 million bpd, or 7% to 10% of global demand, according to analysts' estimates.