Qatif-Abu Sa'fah Fields Development, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Aramco are developing the Qatif and Abu Sa'fah fields as a single large-scale project. The Qatif-Abu Sa'fah development lies in the Eastern province and is currently on track for an October 2004 completion.

The new onshore and offshore facilities along the Gulf coast will have the capacity to produce, process and transport 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Arabian light crude from Qatif field, and 300,000bpd of Arabian medium crude from Abu Sa'fah field as well as 370 million standard ft³ per day of associated gas.

The main contractors are Snamprogetti, Technip, National Petroleum Construction (United Arab Emirates), Chicago Bridge and Iron, General Dynamics, Construction and Contracting Enterprise (CCE) and Suedrohrbau.

QATIF OIL FIELD

The Qatif field is composed of north and south domes. Qatif GOSP-2 will gather gas and 200,000 barrels of crude per day and send it all to the central processing facility in the north, where the crude will be blended with 300,000bpd from the north dome. All the crude is then desalted, stabilised and processed, and then shipped to Ju'aymah and Ras Tanura. The gas will go to Berri Gas Plant.

The Qatif field measures 10km x 50km (6.2 x 31 miles) and consists of seven oil-bearing reservoirs containing approximately 8.4 billion barrels. The Abu Sa'fah field measures approx. 10km x 19km (6.2 x 11 miles) and has reserves of 6.1 billion barrels.

The development will include three gas-oil separation plants (GOSPs), the installation of five new offshore platforms and upgrading ten existing platforms as well as building 30 drilling islands, constructing 450km of pipelines and 600km of fibre-optic cable and an Industrial Support Facilities Complex consisting of an administration building and maintenance workshops.

The Qatif field will be the company's first to produce Arab Light oil by blending Arab Extra Light and Arab Medium, and it will be the first to be self-sufficient in power and steam, through the construction of an on-site co-generation plant. Exhaust from the power station is harnessed to produce steam for the plant.

ABU SA'FAH OIL AND GAS FIELD

The Abu Sa'fah portion of the project will also include a new 42in trunkline to the Qatif central producing facility, as well as flanklines to connect new offshore wells and fibre-optic and power cables.

151 development wells are planned in the onshore Qatif project, including producer, injector and water wells. For Abu Sa'fah, 29 new offshore wells and 61 workovers of existing wells are planned.

QATIF AND ABU SA'FAH DEVELOPMENT

The scope of the overall project includes 34 drilling islands, 1,000km (621 miles) of in-plant piping, 2,700km (1,678 miles) of electrical cable, 3,000km (1,863 miles) of fibre-optic cable, an electrical substation and transmission lines, and myriad support facilities. The development will use a total of 130,000m³ of concrete, 57,000t of structural steel and equipment. The power supply includes one 230kV electrical substation and new transmission lines. Altogether, 12,000 workers, of more than 20 nationalities, have been employed on the project.

BERRI GAS PLANT EXPANSION

A critical component of the Qatif and Abu Sa'fah project is the expansion of the Berri Gas Plant. Before the project, the Berri Gas Plant produced 1,600t per day of recovered sulphur. After the increase in gas production, recovered sulphur will rise to 3,300t per day.

The new sulphur recovery units are designed to recover 99% of sulphur feed using Super Claus technology. The expansion project began in March 2001 and is scheduled for completion in October 2005.