The stable production of offshore oil fields cannot be achieved without the support of supporting water facilities. Saudi Aramco has finalized a heavyweight expansion order, with the first phase of the project just entering trial operation and the second phase rapidly advancing. This reinjection water treatment system fills the gap in production capacity and also sends a signal to the industry that the Middle East oil and gas supporting projects will continue to expand.

Project scale revealed

Saudi Aramco has officially awarded the Zuluf Oilfield Water Treatment Phase II Expansion Contract, with a total amount of 940 million US dollars. The first phase has a production capacity of 185000 cubic meters per day, while the second phase adds 123000 cubic meters per day. After the expansion is completed, the total production capacity will reach 308000 cubic meters per day. The total investment of the first and second phases exceeds 1.379 billion US dollars. The project is located in the Zuluf offshore oil field in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, 40 kilometers offshore. It specializes in treating highly mineralized water bodies generated during mining, purifying them, and injecting them back into the reservoir to maintain formation pressure.

Carrying the goal of increasing production

The Zuluf oil field is a core offshore heavy oil and gas production area in Saudi Arabia, with plans to increase daily crude oil production from 800000 barrels to 1.4 million barrels. The original water treatment scale is difficult to match the production increase plan, which has become an obstacle to capacity release. The project adopts a 25 year BOOT model for construction and operation, with the second phase continuing the same construction standards, linking offshore mining platforms and submarine pipelines. The project is an important support for Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision energy sector, connecting key supporting links for oil field production increase. Keywords: oilfield water treatment, Middle East oil and gas infrastructure

Industry opportunities are emerging

The consecutive landing of two large-scale water treatment projects highlights Saudi Arabia's strategic layout to stabilize global crude oil supply. The technical threshold for oilfield reinjection water engineering is relatively high, belonging to the high-value track of oil and gas engineering. As Saudi Arabia accelerates the development of offshore oil fields, supporting projects such as water treatment, pipelines, and operations will continue to release bidding opportunities, ushering in a concentrated construction cycle for upstream oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East.Editor/Min Jing