Italy’s Saipem on 15 July announced that it had been awarded two offshore contracts totaling “approximately $500mn” from Saudi Aramco. The first is for Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of a 50km, 42” crude trunkline for the Abu Safah field offshore the Saudi Gulf oil terminal of Ras Tanura. Whilst wholly in Saudi waters, Abu Safah output of around 300,000 b/d is split 50:50 with nearby Bahrain (MEES, 29 September).
The second project is “related to… the production maintenance programs of the Berri and Manifa Fields.” Aramco has axed its overall plans to hike crude output capacity from 12mn b/d to 13mn b/d, leading to a slump in offshore drilling (MEES. 12 July) with Saipem among firms impacted (MEES, 10 May). It is, however, pressing ahead with plans to add 250,000 b/d capacity at Berri though a 300,000 b/d increment at Manifa has been shelved (MEES, 2 February). (CONTINUED - 145 WORDS)