GE has been selected by Saudi Aramco for agreements totalling nearly US$500 million to supply a broad range of equipment and services for an expansion of the Shaybah gas-oil processing facilities. The project is expected to enable Saudi Aramco to enhance its oil recovery efforts and spur further economic growth in Kingdom.
With one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Saudi Arabia continues to present significant opportunities for technology innovation and infrastructure development.
Shaybah, which is Saudi Aramco’s most remote oil field, is located in the southeastern section of the Kingdom. It is already highly productive, following a 50% capacity upgrade in June 2009 from half-a-million barrels per day (bpd) to 750,000 bpd of Arabian Extra Light crude. The new expansion is expected to enable Saudi Aramco to further increase crude production to 1 million bpd and increase the gas-oil ratio (GOR) of the field from 1,800 to 7,200 standard cubic feet per stock tank barrel (scf/stb).
“This latest project with Saudi Aramco reflects GE’s commitment to localisation and sustainable growth in the Kingdom. As Saudi Arabia forges ahead with its ambitious national development plans, we look forward to continue to support Saudi Aramco and other customers in the region with GE’s high-tech multi-business approach,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s president for the Middle East.
“Our desire to deliver a complete suite of high-technology and service solutions, while meeting Saudi Aramco’s compressed project timeline, were essential factors in being selected to deliver the extensive scope of this important project,” noted Anis.
To generate the additional 729 megawatts of power, GE is supplying 11 gas turbine-generators, 44 compressors, motors and services. This will bring the total supply of GE gas turbines to Saudi Aramco to more than 110 and the number of GE centrifugal compressors to nearly 100.
A key feature of the expansion, the valuable natural gas liquid (NGL) components from gas produced at Shaybah will be recovered through the construction of the new Sabkha NGL recovery plant which will process 2.4 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of low-sulphur sweet gas and extract 264,000 bpd of NGL. The gas is used in petrochemical applications.
The GE Frame 7EA gas turbines for Shaybah’s expansion project have been used in previous Saudi Aramco applications. Similar GE units have been operating since 1998 in Shaybah, one of the most challenging environments in Saudi Arabia. In addition, services and training will be provided through the GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The 10,000 square metre facility represents a $100 million investment in the largest GE centre of excellence worldwide according to the company.
