The Marjan oil and gas field is located in the Arabian Gulf, off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. Owned and operated by Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil and gas company Saudi Aramco, the offshore field is being expanded as part of the Marjan Crude Increment project.
With a total budget of $21 billion, the project aims to expand the field and increase its crude production capacity by 300,000 b/d as well as produce 360,000 b/d of ethane and natural gas liquids (NGL) by processing an additional 2.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bscfd) of gas produced from the field.
Of the total 32 packages, 22 packages are under execution and seven projects are in pre-execution. A gas lift package is in the bid evaluation stage.
Contractors
In May 2022, Three W Networks Arabia, a subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, was contracted for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of a Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) Inventory System for the field’s offshore and onshore expansion as part of package 6.
McDermott was awarded two engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contracts for the Marjan field expansion project in July 2019.
The first EPCI contract, valued at $3bn, was for the Marjan GOSP-4 and was awarded to a consortium of McDermott and China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (COOEC).
The second contract, worth $1.5bn, was awarded to just McDermott and included three tie-in platforms, seven wellhead platforms, and the installation of subsea trunk lines and in-field pipelines of a total length of 540km.
Field history
The Marjan Crude Increment Programme includes the development of 24 oil, water and gas injection platforms, 200km of cables and an offshore GOSP complex, named Marjan GOSP-4, within 10km of the GOSP-2 and GOSP-3 facilities. Package 1 of the programme will include the installation of six platforms weighing between 4,500t and 6,700t with a maximum footprint of 90m x 52m. They will feature 12 interconnecting bridges and multiple deck levels.
The offshore expansion also includes additional tie-in platforms, production decks, subsea export and infield pipelines, as well as the replacement of the decks on two existing tie-in platforms, the removal of existing gas turbine generators, and the installation of two 115kV subsea power and communication cables.
The onshore element of the project involves the expansion of the Tanajib processing complex with the addition of a gas plant. It also includes a new NGL recovery and fractionation facility along with additional gas compression facilities. The construction of the Tanajib gas plant (TGP) started in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2025.
Furthermore, the project will also include the development of a water desalination facility and a co-generation facility.
Aramco is using smart helmet technology, which supervises inspection activities and mechanical testing for the project with artificial intelligence.