Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco) has started oil production for the first time at its offshore Umm al-Lulu field, after completing the field’s first development phase.

Japan’s Inpex, one of Adma-Opco’s joint venture partners, said the operation commenced production on 2 October, using existing facilities at the nearby Umm al-Dalkh field.

The oil produced at the Umm al-Lulu field, located 30 kilometres northwest of Abu Dhabi city, is transported through an existing subsea pipeline at Zirku Island before shipment to customers in Japan and other Asian countries.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work for the early production facilities was carried out by India’s Larsen & Toubro, which won an estimated $225m contract in September 2011.

Adma-Opco is currently carrying out a full-field development at Umm al-Lulu to increase the field’s capacity to 105,000 barrels a day (b/d).

A consortium of UAE-based National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) and France’s Technip was awarded a $1.69bn deal on the second and largest EPC package of the full-field development in August 2013. NPCC also won the smaller $765m first package earlier that year.

UK-based Amec won a $124m five-year project management consultancy (PMC) contract on the full-field development to oversee the scheme.

The Umm al-Lulu offshore super-complex will comprise six bridge-linked platforms including gathering, separation, gas treatment and water disposal facilities, utilities, and accommodation modules.

Umm al-Lulu, along with the Nasr and Satah al-Razboot (Sarb) full-field developments, are part of Adma-Opco’s plans to increase its total crude production to 1 million b/d by 2020, up from the current 600,000 b/d.

Adma-Opco is a joint venture of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), UK-based BP, France’s Total and Inpex.