Das Island is an Emirati island in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

. It lies about north-west of the UAE mainland; Qatar is also close by. It covers approximately by , and was almost rectangular in shape, but was significantly expanded to the south by artificial additions for a new runway and new accommodation in 2016. Das Island is inhabited by about 6000 oil and gas industry personnel on a rotational schedule. It exports crude oil and

liquefied natural gas Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the vol ...

by tankers as far as Japan and Europe. Oil production began after prospecting during 1956-1960 by Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA), a joint venture between British Petroleum and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later known as Total). Local exporting companies now all fall under the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ADNOC brand, include ADNOC Offshore (Oil), ADNOC LNG (LNG) and other companies. Das Island airport is the only airport on the island, and the runway was expanded and relocated in 2018. Das Island is a noted breeding site for

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

peacocks Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are ref ...

s, Arabian oryxs squirrels and

seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...

s. Despite oil and gas production, turtles still feed safely in the area and Das Island has remained an important landfall for migrant animals

History

On 22 November 1976, a

Gulf Air Gulf Air ( ar, طيران الخليج ''Ṭayarān al-Khalīj'') is the state-owned airline and the flag carrier of Bahrain, which was founded in 1950 by British Pilot Freddie Bosworth as Gulf Aviation. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airli ...

Short SC.7 Skyvan cargo plane travelling from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi-Al Bateen Airport experienced an engine failure. The crew abandoned the aircraft off Das Island. The two occupants were rescued while the airplane sank.

Climate

References

Islands of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi {{UnitedArabEmirates-geo-stub