Inside ADNOC's Plan for the UAE's First Multi-Fuel Pipeline to Bypass Hormuz

What is clear is the strategic intent. Hormuz risk reporting has increasingly flagged that supply-chain fragilities now extend well beyond crude oil. Diesel, jet fuel, LNG, and refined-product exports are all under closer industry scrutiny . By moving early on a multi-fuel corridor, ADNOC is positioning itself as a supplier that can offer contractual and logistical reliability even in a prolonged disruption scenario .

Comparison to the U.S. Colonial Pipeline

No official comparison between ADNOC's planned multi-fuel pipeline and the Colonial Pipeline—the 5,500-mile U.S. artery that moves gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast—has been published by ADNOC or appears in the provided source material. Any comparison is therefore strategic rather than technical. Colonial is an established, high-throughput system connecting refining hubs to major demand centers. ADNOC's proposed line would serve a different purpose: ensuring refined-product export continuity from a single major producer to global markets via a chokepoint bypass. The two systems address fundamentally different logistical problems, and until ADNOC releases specifications, no apples-to-apples comparison is possible.

Timeline Relative to the Dhanna–Fujairah Crude Pipeline

The multi-fuel pipeline is a companion to, not a replacement for, the crude pipeline work already underway.

West-East 1 / Habshan–Fujairah crude pipeline: This is the near-term priority. ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber confirmed in May 2026 that the pipeline, which began construction in 2025, is already 50% complete . It is expected to double ADNOC's crude export capacity through Fujairah—lifting Hormuz-bypass capacity from the existing 1.5–1.8 million barrels per day to roughly 3 million barrels per day—and is on track to become operational in 2027 .

Multi-fuel pipeline: This project is at a much earlier stage. It is reasonable to expect it will come online after the crude expansion is commissioned, but ADNOC has not yet tied it to a specific year .

The two projects are complementary. The crude pipeline addresses capacity for unrefined oil exports; the multi-fuel pipeline would create a parallel, dedicated route for higher-value refined products. Together they would give ADNOC a comprehensive bypass capability covering both upstream and downstream exports.

The $55 Billion Infrastructure Context

On May 3, 2026, ADNOC announced AED 200 billion—approximately $55 billion—in planned project awards for the 2026–2028 period . The awards reinforce a five-year capital expenditure plan approved by the board and are described as ushering in a new phase of world-scale project execution across the value chain to meet global energy demand . While the announcement did not specifically itemize the multi-fuel pipeline, it provides the financial envelope and strategic backdrop within which the project would likely be funded. The investment will span both upstream and downstream segments, with a significant emphasis on deepening domestic supply chains through ADNOC's In-Country Value program .

Immediate Alternatives: Naphtha via Oman

ADNOC isn't waiting for a new pipeline to move fuel outside the Strait. The company has already restarted naphtha exports through Oman's Sohar port to Asian buyers, driving prices down to their lowest levels since the start of regional hostilities . The Sohar route provides an immediate, operational workaround while the longer-term pipeline infrastructure is developed .

The Strait of Hormuz Disruption Context

The infrastructure push is not hypothetical. The Strait of Hormuz has entered what analysts describe as a contested-reopening phase, with military escort efforts, reported vessel attacks, and significant commercial caution occurring simultaneously . Non-Iranian crude flows through the waterway remain reduced, and industry sources have warned that even if hostilities formally end, commercial shipping flows will not resume immediately—insurers, charterers, and operators will take time to rebuild confidence in the route .

For the UAE, which alongside Saudi Arabia is one of the only Gulf producers with existing infrastructure to export outside the strait, doubling down on bypass capacity is both a competitive move and an insurance policy . The multi-fuel pipeline plan extends that logic from crude into the refined-products space for the first time.

What We Don't Know Yet

The early-stage nature of the multi-fuel pipeline means several critical questions remain unanswered in the public domain:

• Technical specifications: No route, diameter, pumping capacity, or storage figures have been published.
• Cost and funding: While the $55 billion program provides a likely umbrella, no project-specific budget has been disclosed.
• Third-party access: Reporting has not verified whether ADNOC intends to offer capacity to other Gulf producers, though the idea of case-by-case loading arrangements outside the Gulf has been noted as significant for regional producers .
• Colonial Pipeline comparison: No data exists to support a direct technical or throughput comparison.

ADNOC's multi-fuel pipeline is, for now, a strategic signal. The company clearly intends to be able to guarantee refined-product deliveries regardless of what happens at Hormuz, and it is backing that intent with its largest-ever project awards program. The details will determine whether the project matches the ambition.