Bab Gas Compression Project, Abu Dhabi

Bab Gas Compression Project, part of the Thamama gas network, was inaugurated on 28 February 2013. The compression station is located in the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO)’s Bab field in the Habshan area of Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Bab gas compression project was commissioned to increase the gas production in the Habshan area. Three gas compression stations, each comprising of three motor driven centrifugal compressors are included in the compression station.

Oil and gas reserves at Bab gas field

Bab Gas Field is the largest onshore field covering 1,200km² in Abu Dhabi. Bab field contains multiple reservoirs of hydrocarbon accumulations. Huge reserves of oil and gas are found in these reservoirs. The gas produced from the field is transferred to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s gas processing plant.

Bab gas compression project details

Bab gas compression project is an integral part of the Thamama gas gathering network. The compression project is aimed at increasing the gas production from the Thamama C and D fields, as well as units 6, 7 and 13.

The Thamama C gas gathering network ties all the gas producing well flow lines directly to their relevant trunk lines. The system consists of eight trunk lines and 51 gas producing wells.

Thamama D-U6/7 gathering system ties all the gas producing well flow-lines to the remote manifold stations (RMS), and transfers the gas to trunk lines. The system comprises of 35 gas producing wells.

Construction of Abu Dhabi’s compression station

Construction of the Bab gas compression station was started in 2010. The project was inaugurated in February 2013. The compression station is estimated to handle 1.8 billion standard cubic feet per day of gas / condensate (2,100 MMSCFD per day). Gas extraction capacity will increase to 25 trillion cubic feet.

The three compressor stations help in maintaining reservoir pressure and increasing the reinjection capacity of the plant. The compressors increase the pressure of the incoming gas, which is then transferred via pipeline to GASCO’s refinery for final processing.

Utility buildings such as the new main intake substation (33KV), local technical room and main gas control room were also constructed as part of the project.

Bab gas compression project phase two and three

Bab gas compression project will be expanded in two more phases. The ultimate gas recovery rate is expected to be 90% upon completion of the expansion.

Phase two of the project is currently in the tendering stage. It is expected to increase the compression capacity to 2.4 billion standard cubic feet per day of gas / condensate.

It includes construction of a 600MMSCFD compression station, a direct gathering manifold station, remote manifold station’s extension and tie-in of 32 new gas wells. It is scheduled for completion in 2015.

Phase three of the project is scheduled for completion in 2018. Bab gas aims to increase its gas production capacity by 25% through the Bab gas compression project.

Contractors for the UAE-based gas compression project

SK E&C of South Korea is the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor for Bab gas compression plant. The EPC contract, worth $820m, was awarded to SK E&C in 2009.

Mott McDonald Abu Dhabi unit provided project management and consultancy services for the compression project. The subcontract included re-grouping of wells, trunk line tie-in and optimisation of production separators. Construction of a gas compression station and pumping of production separator liquid into the discharge line of the compressors / trunk lines were also performed.

Man Turbo of Oberhausen (Germany) was subcontracted for supply of nine compressors worth €60m ($78m).

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