In a record 21 months from approval of funding, oil started flowing through the new Haradh gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) from several of 32 new wells that will feed the facility. Initially, oil and its associated gas began pulsing through the new Haradh GOSP-3 through more than 160 kilometers of oil and gas pipeline to Abqaiq Stabilization Plant and 'Uthmaniyah Gas Plant for further processing. Once fully on-stream, the facility will crank out 300,000 barrels of oil and 140 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The initial start-up of Saudi Aramco's Haradh GOSP-3 at the southern end of Ghawar, the world's largest oil field, beat by several months the Shaybah oil-field project, which until then had been the company's benchmark for speedy completion. Full production will be attained by the new plant within the second quarter of 2006. It is the first plant in Southern Area Oil Operations (SAOO) to have completely automated well control and monitoring.
The construction contractor on the project is Saudi Techint Ltd., a local subsidiary of Techint International Construction Corp. of Buenos Aires, Argentina. About 43 percent of the materials and service providers were Saudi businesses. At the height of construction, more than 1,900 workers labored on the plant, plus nearly 100 Saudi Aramco engineers and other professionals. Once the plant is fully operational, all of its employees will be Saudi.
Haradh GOSP-3 Facts
High-Pressure Production Trap: 7.3 meters in diameter, 50 m long, weighing more than 413 metric tons, fabricated by Gulf Engineering Co. in Jubail, took eight days to transport 320 km to plant site. The trap will be used to accumulate and separate wet crude, formation water and associated gas. Crude oil will be transferred to the low-pressure production trap, the dehydrator and desalter for further oil, gas and salt water separation. Water will be collected for re-injection into the oil reservoir, and gas will be compressed for transport by pipeline.
Shipper Pumps: Two 10,000 gallon-per-minute, 4,000-horsepower motor-driven crude shipper pumps were installed to export dry crude by pipeline to Abqaiq Stabilization Plant.
Gas Compressors: One 1,140 horsepower motor-driven gas compressor and two 10,460 horsepower motor-driven gas compressors were installed to transport gas by pipeline to 'Uthmaniyah Gas Plant.
Water Injection and Supply Pumps: A third gas-turbine-driven water-injection pump was installed at Haradh GOSP-2, and a third seawater-supply motor-driven booster pump was installed at Hawiyah Central Water Injection Pump Station.
Pipelines: Approximately 160 km of new pipeline and extensions will transport crude and gas products from GOSP-3 to processing facilities in Abqaiq and 'Uthmaniyah. More than 150 kilometers of new pipeline and extensions to existing pipeline were constructed to transport treated seawater and produced salt water for injection to maintain reservoir pressure.
Steel: The project used 1,090 tons of structural steel and more than 3,100 tons of steel piping.
Cables: 240 km of cable was installed.
Manpower: 1,900 construction workers labored on the project at its height.
Remote capability: Haradh GOSP-3 is the first plant in the Southern Area Oil Operations area to have completely automated well control and monitoring, allowing remote operation.
Production: When fully on-stream in second quarter of 2006, the plant will produce 300,000 barrels of Arabian Light crude oil per day and 140 million standard cubic feet per day of associated gas. A total of 520,000 bpd of treated seawater will be required for injection to maintain oil reservoir pressure.
