iktva in action: Aramco awards Shaybah NGL infrastructure contract

Aramco has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction lump-sum contract for dew point control facilities (DPCUs) at the Shaybah natural gas liquids (NGL) plant, in the heart of the Rub’ al-Khali.

The project, awarded to Wison Engineering, which is based in Shanghai, China, is designed to remove heavy hydrocarbons from feed gas and increase gas processing capacity from 1.8 to 2.4 billion standard cubic feet per day. DPCUs stop solid hydrates from forming in gas streams.

The work — which will support the growth of the Kingdom’s petrochemical industry, the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program, and local employment — includes:

• Installing four DPCUs, two propane refrigeration units, and one condensate stripper unit, which will be installed upstream of the existing acid gas removal units (AGRU) and the NGL recovery plant.

• Upgrading two AGRU facilities, or trains, which remove gases such as H₂S and CO₂.

• Expanding an existing substation to accommodate new power loads.

• Installing two regeneration gas heaters in existing NGL liquefaction and purification trains.

The construction will be in modular packages due to the remoteness and special construction challenges at Shaybah, ensuring quality control and enhancing construction schedule completion.

The DPCUs, which make up the majority of the project’s scope, will consist of 76 modules fabricated in a modular yard and transported to the remote desert for installation.

This is the first oil and gas project directly awarded to Wison Engineering by Aramco, and in which a modularization construction concept will be utilized. The engineering services company was selected based on its successful execution of modularization projects worldwide. 

An in-Kingdom engineering design office has been selected to support the Saudi government’s initiatives to increase local content.

Abdulkarim A. Al Ghamdi, vice president of Project Management, said the modular packages construction concept is part of the company’s project strategy.

“(It) offers a number of benefits to Aramco and our partners, and it will have a positive impact on the project’s performance, business environment, and economic activities in the Kingdom,” Al Ghamdi said.

“In addition, having detailed engineering work in-Kingdom for such a sophisticated scope will enable us to continue developing homegrown talent … through achievable employment targets,” he said.

“This is very important to us, as well as the contribution to our IKTVA target to increase local content.”