We unlock the MENA region’s untapped resources across complex and often challenging environments by conducting exploration and development programmes to help transform local economies.
Crescent Petroleum brings more than five decades of independent oil and gas operating experience across the Middle East and international markets.
Our expertise is rooted in deep regional knowledge, disciplined exploration and development, natural gas commercialisation, and a strong commitment to social performance and sustainability.
Success in the oil and gas sector – particularly in this region – requires more than technical, commercial, and financial strength. It demands a deep understanding of the cultural and social context in which business is conducted.
Crescent Petroleum combines decades of regional experience with shared cultural values and a steadfast commitment to developing the region’s energy resources. Our proven track record makes us the partner of choice.
Crescent Petroleum has extensive historical experience in conducting exploration programmes across many regions, some in very difficult and challenging environments, including political upheaval and civil war.
Beyond the UAE, Crescent Petroleum has conducted exploration in Argentina, Egypt, Montenegro, Pakistan, and Yemen, in partnership with global oil companies such as AMOCO (now bp), British Gas, Inpex, Jugopetrol, and Golfo Petrolero. These efforts involved extensive 2D and 3D seismic surveys across deserts, mountains, and offshore terrains.
We bring decades of experience in developing both offshore and onshore fields, notably the Mubarek Field in the UAE and the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields in the KRI.
Crescent Petroleum has consistently delivered fast-track field development in line with best international petroleum practices. Our expertise includes managing high-pressure, deep carbonate reservoirs and overcoming complex drilling challenges, such as thick salt layers, fracturing, and variable-pressure formations.
In the KRI, Crescent Petroleum and its affiliate Dana Gas signed a Strategic Alliance Protocol with the Kurdistan Regional Government in 2007 to develop the Khor Mor and Chemchemal gas fields.
Within 18 months, the first gas was delivered to two power plants in Erbil and Chemchemal. Since 2008, the project has provided uninterrupted, affordable energy at scale, fuelling the KRI’s electricity grid and driving significant economic, social, and environmental impact.
In 2018, Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas celebrated the tenth anniversary of production operations and, in 2019, signed a 20-year Gas Sales Agreement with the KRG to enable production and sales of an additional million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/d) to boost local electricity generation, significantly expanding current production (“KM250 project”).
In October 2025, Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas announced the start of commercial gas sales from the KM250 project at the Khor Mor facility. Delivered eight months ahead of the revised schedule, the expansion added 250 MMscf/d of new processing capacity, a 50% increase, boosting Khor Mor’s total output to 750 MMscf/d.
The expansion has bolstered power generation and supports industrial growth across the KRI, underpinning the KRG’s Runaki initiative to deliver 24-hour electricity, while improving supply to other regions of Iraq.
At its peak, the project employed over 10,000 people and involved the delivery of more than 6,000 tonnes of steel and 6.2 million man-hours, making it one of the largest private-sector infrastructure builds in Iraq in recent years.
Notable achievements include:
Crescent Petroleum continued its pioneering role in 2005 by playing an instrumental role in establishing Dana Gas, which trades on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and is the region’s first publicly listed energy company. At the time of the IPO, subscriptions reached AED 290 billion on a public offering of AED 2 billion. Crescent Petroleum is the largest shareholder of Dana Gas, which allows us further participation across the full gas and value chain.
In 2007, Dana Gas completed the US$1 billion acquisition of Toronto Stock Exchange-listed Centurion Energy, acquiring assets in Egypt, Tunisia, and Nigeria. Today, Dana Gas is one of the largest independent gas producers in Egypt, thereby expanding Crescent Petroleum’s footprint into this important North African country.
In 2008, Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas established Gas Cities Ltd as a 50-50 joint venture to develop gas-intensive industrial cities in the region in line with our commitment to making our shared energy future more sustainable. The Gas Cities concept involves the clustering of energy-intensive industries, which in turn delivers significant efficiency gains by allowing for the sharing of utilities and infrastructure, all powered with clean natural gas.
Another example of Crescent Petroleum’s pioneering role in gas commercialization was the Gulf South Asia Gas Project (GUSA). GUSA was a conceptual study launched by Crescent Petroleum in 1990 as the first workable project for producing, transmitting by pipeline, and delivering natural gas from Qatar to Pakistan and eventually other parts of South Asia.
A particular area of focus for the long-term growth of Crescent Petroleum’s business is the development, marketing, and utilisation of natural gas assets in the region.
In the mid 1980s, when natural gas was inaccurately considered an undesirable byproduct of oil production, Crescent Petroleum took a contrary long view of the regional market and invested its resources accordingly, pioneering several initiatives that inevitably placed us at the forefront of the region’s integrated long-term gas projects.
In 1985, Crescent Petroleum arranged the first ever commercial, inter-emirate onshore gas supply contract in Sharjah for the UAE Federal Ministry of Electricity and Water and established the first offshore inter-emirate gas supply and sales agreement between Sharjah and Dubai by building a dedicated 92 km offshore pipeline and associated central gas processing facility from its Mubarek Field in Sharjah to land at Jebel Ali in Dubai.
Today, with the new paradigm shift in oil prices, the gas business in the Arabian Gulf is on a strong growth trajectory, creating expanding demand for the gas supplies necessary to fuel power generation and a broad range of gas-related industries.
Crescent Petroleum’s pioneering role in the gas market led to the formation of a gas marketing company under the name of Crescent National Gas Corporation (CNGC), ready to implement the UAE Gas Supply Project before it stalled.
From upstream through to gas commercialisation, we focus on maximising the value of locally produced gas to drive domestic economic growth rather than relying solely on exports.
The value addition brought by Crescent Petroleum’s projects to the economies of the UAE and KRI is elaborated under the “Social Performance and Sustainability” section.
CNGC’s intended purpose was:
Crescent Petroleum is committed to operating in a manner that honors our employees, protects the environment, and supports the communities from which we draw strength.
We invest in growth and shared prosperity to deliver impact in the UAE, Iraq and other communities, contributing to the economic and energy landscape while strengthening the social fabric of the communities where we operate.
Through our sustainability initiatives, we align with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Our efforts to reduce unemployment, expand access to education, and advance energy-efficient gas projects to make energy more accessible to all reflect this commitment. We work in partnership with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and private-sector entities to empower the region’s youth with the skills needed for today and the future.
Beyond our economic contributions, Crescent Petroleum actively supports philanthropic initiatives across the region, particularly in education and the arts, promoting cultural diversity and heritage.
Notable contributions include:
Funding livestock dipping tanks in the KRI to support farmers in improving parasite management.
Collaborating with the American University of Sharjah (AUS) on academic initiatives that advance education in the UAE.
Partnering with the British Council and Edraak to launch a free online English course for Arab nationals.
Supporting UAE-based community organizations, including the Rashid Pediatric Centre, the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired, and Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services.
Given the challenging and often volatile environments in which we operate, the health, safety, and security of our people remain our highest consideration. Across all operations, we foster a robust safety culture.
Our commitment to protecting employees and communities, preserving the environment, and safeguarding our assets is embedded in our Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) and Social Performance Policy.
This commitment is implemented through our HSE management system and Emergency Response Plans (ERP), in alignment with OHSAS 18001 guidelines.
Everyone who works on behalf of Crescent Petroleum shares responsibility for the health, safety, security and welfare of our employees, joint venture employees and contractors …
… as well as for protecting our assets throughout their lifecycle, supporting the communities in which we operate, and safeguarding the environment.
We are committed to:
Our commitment to this policy is demonstrated through visible leadership and a proactive performance culture, including encouraging our Contractors and Stakeholders to align with its principles.
Majid Jafar,
Crescent Petroleum CEO
Everyone who works on behalf of Crescent Petroleum shares responsibility for the health, safety, security and welfare of our employees, joint venture employees and contractors as well as for protecting our assets throughout their lifecycle, supporting the communities in which we operate, and safeguarding the environment.
We are committed to:
Pursuing a goal of no harm to People, Assets, the Environment and Communities;
Creating a work environment where safety is prioritised over production and incidents are prevented and risks minimised through effective controls, training and vigilance;
Sustaining the design, operational and technical integrity of our operational facilities to ensure proactive risk mitigation and continuous improvement;
Adopting responsible environmental practices, minimising discharges, wastes and emissions, safeguarding biodiversity and optimising the use of natural resources;
Creating a work environment where safety is prioritised over production and incidents are prevented and risks minimised through effective controls, training and vigilance;
Reporting and investigating incidents, ensuring effective preventive and corrective actions are applied in addition to sharing lessons learned with relevant Stakeholders;
Strengthening organisational resilience through the effective application of risk management, emergency preparedness and business continuity practices;
Ensuring the physical security of our personnel and facilities, supported by active collaboration with relevant authorities, security organisations and local communities;
Maintaining positive community relationships and socio-economic advancement through responsible investment.
Our commitment to this policy is demonstrated through visible leadership and a proactive performance culture, including encouraging our Contractors and Stakeholders to align with its principles.
Majid Jafar,
Crescent Petroleum CEO
We promote a collective culture of safety, where every individual is responsible not only for their own well-being but also for the safety of those around them.
Crescent Petroleum places safety at the core of employee training. Our Safety Training Matrix aligns specific training modules with each role, ensuring that every team member understands their responsibilities in maintaining a safe working environment.
We extend safety training workshops to contractors to reduce health and safety incidents across our supply chain. Last year, more than 14,000 hours of HSSE training were delivered to all employees, contractors, and visitors. We maintain a comprehensive incident register to document all health and safety events and lessons learned, enabling continuous improvement in our HSSE practices.
Our ERP framework is designed to ensure swift and appropriate responses to emergencies. Beyond emergency preparedness, we prioritize the overall health and well-being of our workforce. Crescent Petroleum leads in providing regular health check-ups, counseling, and treatment services to employees, workers, and their families.
Our Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) and Social Performance Policy is readily available to our employees and other stakeholders.
We apply the same rigor and transparency to environmental challenges as we do to business and management decisions.
Our commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement is further reflected in our Environmental Action Plan. This includes implementing ambient air monitoring to improve environmental data accuracy, reducing polystyrene waste, and studying stack emissions to identify reduction opportunities.
This approach complements our HSSE and Social Performance Policy, ensuring a systematic framework for environmental management, waste minimization, and pollution prevention and control. More information can be found in our annual Sustainability Reports.
Digital transformation is central to Crescent Petroleum’s strategy to enhance performance, strengthen resilience, and deliver sustainable growth. We are embedding artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and integrated enterprise platforms across our producing assets to create a connected, insight-led operating model.
Our AI-powered predictive analytics solutions analyse real-time production and equipment data to anticipate potential failures before they occur. This reduces unplanned downtime, optimises maintenance strategies, and strengthens production reliability across our facilities.
By integrating operational, maintenance, and data through unified platforms, we have established end-to-end integration of business services from the wellhead to the customer. This empowers our teams to make faster, more informed decisions and drives performance across our organisation.
Digitalisation is also enhancing safety and sustainability. Remote monitoring, intelligent field technologies, and optimised energy management reduce site exposure, lower emissions, and improve resource efficiency.
Underpinned by strong governance and cybersecurity, Crescent Petroleum’s digital foundation enables continuous innovation, scalable growth, and long-term value creation in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.