Saudi Aramco signs Manifa field dredging contract

Offshore staff

DHAHRAN Saudi Arabia-- Saudi Aramco signed a contract with Belgian dredging contractor Jan De Nul to help develop the 900,000 b/d Manifa offshore oil field.

Scheduled for completion in 2009, Jan De Nul did dredging in the Arabian Gulf before building of several drilling islands and a 41-km (25-mi) causeway that will link the coast to the shallow-water, man-made drilling islands.

This is the first lump-sum turnkey contract to be signed under Saudi Aramco's Manifa development program, its largest offshore project. It aims to add 900,000 b/d of Arabian heavy crude production by 2011.

2/5/07