The scorching sun in the Persian Gulf in July is like fire, and workers are cleaning the old pipe gallery next to the export terminal of Jumeirah in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The GART-22 pipeline, which has been in service for many years, is gradually showing signs of fatigue due to insufficient pressure, and the abandoned GART-24 pipeline is encroaching on valuable pipe gallery resources. On July 13, 2026, as the last bid was accepted by Saudi Aramco, the renovation project related to the lifeline of the Rastanula refinery officially entered the evaluation stage, and a battle for revitalizing the energy artery was about to begin.

Nine teams compete for the 18 kilometer new pipeline

This bidding has attracted top engineering forces from around the world. As of July 13, 2026, all 9 domestic and foreign contractors, including Sinopec Saudi Engineering Company, have submitted their bids. The project plans to build an 18 kilometer long 24 inch large-diameter gas pipeline to replace the existing old pipeline, and to synchronously equip it with a cleaning device, intelligent leak monitoring system, and automation control transformation to achieve efficient single line transportation.

Cracking the Difficulty of Ensuring Supply in Eastern Refining and Chemical Industry

The Rastanula Refinery is the oldest and largest refining complex in Saudi Arabia, processing 550000 barrels of crude oil per day. The new pipeline will stably transport the associated gas and condensate from the Abu Ghraig processing center, completely solving the problem of unstable gas supply caused by equipment aging, eliminating the hidden danger of corrosion and leakage, and laying a solid energy supply bottom line for the medium and long-term expansion of this giant refinery. Keywords: Engineering Information、Construction News

Leveraging the wave of updates to the Middle East pipeline network

This project is not only a crucial step for Saudi Aramco to optimize its local gas supply system, but also a barometer for infrastructure upgrades in Gulf countries. As oil and gas pipelines in the Middle East enter a period of centralized replacement, this renovation will release a large number of subsequent EPC orders. The deep participation of Chinese enterprises in core bid sections is accumulating key achievements for deepening the Middle East oil and gas engineering market and helping the the Belt and Road energy cooperation go deeper and more practical.Editor/Gao Xue