Saudi Aramco to boost Shaybah production

Dec. 16, 2010
Saudi Aramco let contracts worth nearly $500 million to GE Energy for equipment to expand Shaybah field’s oil production and natural gas-processing capacities.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 16
-- Saudi Aramco let contracts worth nearly $500 million to GE Energy for equipment to expand Shaybah field’s oil production and natural gas-processing capacities.

The expansion is expected to boost crude oil production capacity to 1 million b/d compared with Shaybah’s current capacity of 750,000 b/d.

Shaybah, in southeastern Saudi Arabia, has undergone various expansions. An upgrade completed in June 2009 boosted its crude capacity from 500,000 b/d to its current capacity.

Aramco also is working to boost its natural gas capacity at Shaybah by building an NGL plant to process 2.4 bscfd of low-sulfur, sweet gas and extract 264,000 b/d of NGLs.

GE agreed to supply 11 gas turbine-generators, 44 compressors, and motors. With the latest contracts, GE has supplied a total of more than 110 GE gas turbines to Saudi Aramco and nearly 100 GE centrifugal compressors.