Page 68: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2015)

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Middle East

Photo from Total.

The Abu Al Bukhoosh central facility, operated by Total, ofshore Abu Dhabi. again operate in the country. Together, the Al Wasit felds and Karan “Even with the existing are expected to increase Saudi Aramco’s facilities, there are opportuni- output by 40% – most of the gas will be ties for minimum facilities for local power and industrial feedstock. platforms, providing a low cost The growth, in brownfeld and green- solution,” Molloy says, and feld, will make the Middle East one of a potential alternative to the the key markets for oilfeld services com- artifcial islands built in some panies for decades to come, says Nick areas. “There are a number of Dalgarno, co-head of eastern hemisphere conductor supported platforms corporate fnance at Simmons & Co. already installed, offshore Qatar International.

and UAE. Saudi Arabia is the Dalgarno says there is an increas-

Zadco’s Zakum supercomplex, ofshore Abu Dhabi. next step. It is also quite excit- ing willingness amongst governments

Photo from Tony Cavill.

ing to see the opportunities that and the national oil companies to build looking to build offshore positions. might come out of Iran.” relationships with foreign frms to bring

Oman, which has little offshore pro- Driving some of the offshore develop- know-how and technology into the duction to date, has said it is looking ment is the strong growth in natural gas region, due to an increasing need for to increase exploration off its waters. demand. While the Arabian Gulf has enhanced oil recovery, as well as sour

Kuwait, which has no offshore produc- an abundance of natural gas gas, heavy oil, tight gas, LNG, tion, recently completed 2D and 3D reserves – Iran has the second GTL, “clean fuels” refneries, seismic in its offshore area. largest gas reserves in the world carbon capture and storage,

Deepwater activity is starting to take – only Qatar is a signifcant nuclear and solar technologies. hold, with Saudi Aramco in the early exporter. “No oilfeld services company stages of deepwater exploration in the Saudi Aramco’s Karan off- can afford to ignore the market

Saudi Arabian Red Sea. shore gas project – the com- in the Middle East due to its

Steve Molloy, Aquaterra Energy’s pany’s frst offshore gas fnd sheer scale and variety,” he

Middle East and North Africa region – reached planned capacity in says. “The region is increasingly

Nick Dalgarno manager, sees a potential for the 2012, after coming onstream ear- receptive to bringing in skills

UK-based engineering company’s mini- lier in the year, and production and technology from outside to mum facilities and conductor supported start-up was expected from the Arabiyah support its exploration and production platform designs in the region – includ- and Hasbah offshore gas felds, which activity and EOR requirements and indig- ing Iran, when sanctions ease to the are part of the Al Wasit Gas Program, and enous businesses are also seeking oppor- degree that western frms are able to once comprise 15 offshore platforms, in 2014. tunities to grow internationally.”

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