Aramco opens massive platform for marine work
RIYADH: Saudi Aramco has launched the largest platform for its marine operations which has been manufactured at the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam.
The platform is fixed in the undersea coral reef and will receive the production of eight marine oil platforms, which will be transferred through pipeline to Workshop No. 2 to separate gas in Al- Murjan oilfield. The platforms distribute electricity which reaches the eight platforms through electric cables that are fixed under the sea.
Ahmad Al- Saadi, higher president for technical service at Saudi Aramco, said the launch of this huge platform, which weighs 3,500 tons, is a big achievement for Aramco, which hopes to develop its marine resources. This helps to build and support local manufacturing abilities, by building strategic partnerships with local manufacturers, which shows Aramco to the world as a competent local manufacturing company.
Morjan, T. B. 9 manufacturing is part of a contracting company that has been allocated to the Saipem and Star consortium, within Aramco’s program to maintain the level of control in covered fields. The contracting also includes the manufacturing and installation of four plat- forms to produce oil.
This huge platform was manufactured by the Star company, which builds marine platforms. Star is the product of a mutual project between Saipem and Al- Rashid for Marine Works, which was established in 2007 with direct support form Aramco.
Abdullah Al- Rashid, CEO of Star, said that in addition to enhancing Aramco’s goals that support the self- sufficiency program, this company aims to enhance the Saudi economy and increase citizens’ abilities in the marine manufacturing sector which demands high skills. The achievement of this project confirms the commitment of Aramco to develop the hydrocarbon resources of the Kingdom, which will have a major role in the transformation of the company into the largest energy and chemical company in the world by the year 2020.
The manufacturing of this project took more than 800,000 hours. The national labor force that participated in the project reached 20 percent and the project trained technical and administrative training for young Saudi graduates, reported Aleqtesadiah.