ADNOC Logistics & Services plc (ADNOC L&S), the maritime logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and COSCO SHIPPING Energy Transportation Co., Ltd. have signed a three-year cooperation agreement covering LNG transportation, marine bunkering and vessel technology. Announced by ADNOC L&S on November 3, the agreement was signed during ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi and provides a framework for exploring opportunities linking UAE energy supplies with China and other Asian markets.

A framework for shipping and operational cooperation

ADNOC L&S Chief Executive Officer Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi described the agreement as a memorandum of understanding (MoU), saying COSCO SHIPPING Energy was represented by Executive Director and General Manager Wang Mingfeng. He identified LNG transportation, bunkering in the UAE and China, vessel technology, safety management and digital innovation as areas for potential cooperation. The company’s announcement confirmed the three-year term and highlighted the opportunity to develop maritime logistics partnerships across Asian markets.

The scope brings together cargo transportation and services that support vessel operations. LNG shipping is the clearest commercial focus, while the inclusion of bunkering and technology creates room for cooperation on fuel supply and operational practices. The companies have yet to identify specific projects under the framework, leaving the commercial structure and implementation arrangements to be developed.

Both companies are investing in LNG carriers at Jiangnan

The agreement follows separate LNG fleet investments by both companies at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard. On June 25, COSCO SHIPPING Energy, Shell and Jiangnan held a signing ceremony in Shanghai for a project involving four 175,000-cubic-metre LNG carriers. COSCO SHIPPING Energy described the project as part of its efforts to develop international LNG shipping business and deepen relationships with global energy companies. The vessels incorporate low-methane-slip generator engines, shaft generators and reliquefaction systems, linking fleet expansion with improvements in operating efficiency and emissions performance.

ADNOC L&S announced on July 10 that it had ordered four additional 175,000-cubic-metre LNG carriers at Jiangnan for approximately US$900 million, with delivery scheduled for 2029. The company said it expected the vessels to enter long-term charter employment. It also disclosed that six previously ordered LNG carriers from the yard had been delivered, with five operating from May 2026 under contracts with ADNOC Gas lasting up to 15 years. These arrangements illustrate the role of long-term customer demand in supporting ADNOC L&S’s LNG fleet investment.

The two owners’ separate programmes demonstrate their commitment to LNG shipping and give them a shared shipbuilding partner for potential technical exchanges. Neither company has publicly linked these existing newbuilding projects to the new cooperation agreement.

ADNOC’s expanding LNG portfolio provides the commercial context

The cooperation also comes as ADNOC develops a broader international LNG business. In a November 3 announcement, ADNOC Gas outlined the group’s global LNG marketing and trading platform, launched earlier this year. The platform combines the LNG marketing activities of ADNOC Gas and XRG with ADNOC Trading’s trading capabilities and targets 47 million tonnes per annum of marketable LNG beyond 2030. That target concerns the scale of the LNG portfolio available for marketing and trading.

A wider portfolio of supply sources and destinations requires coordinated vessel deployment, terminal compatibility and scheduling. The MoU’s stated focus on UAE supply and Asian markets gives the partnership a defined geographic direction, while allowing the companies to explore how their fleets and operating capabilities could support future business. For COSCO SHIPPING Energy, the relationship provides another channel for developing international LNG shipping opportunities; any resulting transport contracts will depend on project requirements and subsequent commercial negotiations.

Bunkering cooperation builds on an existing services platform

ADNOC L&S already has a business base in bunkering and vessel management. In January 2025, it announced the completion of its acquisition of an 80% stake in Navig8, expanding its service offering across commercial pooling, bunkering, technical management and digital solutions. Navig8’s associated marine fuels business, Integr8 Fuels, provides fuel procurement and management services. Those capabilities help explain the inclusion of bunkering alongside transportation in the new framework, although no implementation role has been announced for Navig8 or Integr8.

Fuel procurement, replenishment locations and vessel schedules are closely connected in voyage operations. Cooperation in the UAE and China could therefore provide opportunities to coordinate fuel services with shipping activity in both markets. However, the public announcements refer broadly to marine bunkering and do not specify fuel types, ports or participating entities. The precise scope of the proposed bunkering cooperation remains to be disclosed.

Specific projects will determine the partnership’s next steps

The disclosures establish a three-year cooperation framework, with no announced vessel commitments, cargo volumes, charter rates, investment amounts or joint-venture arrangements. The three-year term applies to the cooperation agreement and should not be read as confirmation of a three-year LNG charter. The next substantive developments will be any cargo-linked shipping arrangements, named bunkering locations and fuels, and specific technology projects. Those details will show how the partnership translates its stated scope into coordination between energy supply, shipping capacity and services at ports.