Jacket installations on Aramco’s giant offshore oil field take ABL to Middle East

China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (COOEC), controlled by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), has picked ABL, part of ABL Group, to provide marine warranty survey (MWS) services for jacket installations on what is said to be the world’s biggest conventional offshore oil field both by recoverable reserves and production capacity.

Thanks to this contract, ABL will be in charge of MWS services for the build-out of the CRPO 122 project at the Safaniya oil field in the north-west corner of the Arabian Gulf, approximately 260 kilometers north of Dhahran in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which is operated by the country’s energy heavyweight, Aramco.

Lyu Liwei, ABL’s Country Manager in China, commented: “This is a major project that requires numerous specialist experts and skills. In addition, there are multiple locations involved in the T&I work. Projects such as this underlines the value of ABL’s global footprint, where we are able to draw upon competence, resources and physical presence in several countries at once to provide an optimal solution to our client. We are delighted to support COEEC with our MWS services on this major oil and gas project.”

During this assignment, ABL will provide MWS services to review, survey, and approve all operations relating to the transportation and installation (T&I) of 13 shallow water steel jackets, associated piles, conductors, and other items. According to the company, the steel jackets and other items will be transported from Qingdao in China to the Safaniya oil field in Saudi Arabian waters. 

Furthermore, the firm’s team in China will manage the contract and on-site attendance with support from teams in Bahrain and KSA to resource onsite attendance in the Middle East. While the value of the contract has not been disclosed, the work is due to start immediately, with expected project completion in July 2024. 

Recently, OMV Petrom also hired ABL for MWS services on a natural gas project in the Romanian area of the Black Sea. Prior to this, the firm was selected by LLOG Exploration to provide the same type of services for a development project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, after being chosen as the tow master during the month before for an FPSO destined for Brazil.