The first exports of Abu Dhabi crude from Fujairah has been shipped following the opening of the 400-kilometre Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (Adcop).

The pipeline was inaugurated on 15 July by state-owned operator International Petroleum Investment Company (Ipic), with the first shipment destined for Pakistan.

Adcop allows the UAE to transport up to 1.8 million barrels a day (b/d) of crude from its onshore oil fields in Habshan, Abu Dhabi, to the Gulf of Oman port of Fujairah, allowing it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ipic managing director Khadem al-Qubaisi said the pipeline cost $4.2bn to construct, local media reported. The project overran an initial budget of $3.3bn due to delays caused by technical problems.