Saudi Aramco has selected GE Oil & Gas business for supplying gas turbines to the Southern Area seawater capacity expansion project in Ghawar – the world’s largest oil field – and the Khurais oil field.

GE will deliver 12 mechanical drive packages, including seven driven by MS5002C gas turbines and five by MS5002D gas turbines. The expansion project will help to increase Saudi Aramco’s production.
The equipment will be manufactured at GE Oil & Gas facilities in Florence, Italy, and shipped to the project sites in 2007, with commercial operation expected to begin in 2008. The GE contract also includes spare parts and training.
“This project builds upon the longstanding relationship we have enjoyed with Saudi Aramco,” said Mohammed Ayoub, regional general manager – Middle East GE Oil & Gas. “Over the years, we have provided more than 50 units for installation at Saudi Aramco facilities throughout the kingdom.”
Elsewhere in the Gulf, in one of the significant recent projects awarded, GE’s Oil & Gas business will supply six PG6581B (Frame 6B) gas turbines, equipped with dual fuel IGCC (integrated gasification combined-cycle) type combustion systems, to Qatar Shell GTL Ltd for the Pearl GTL (gas-to-liquids) project in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.
In addition to the 42 MW gas turbine-generators, the scope of GE’s contract includes IGCC combustion engineering, combustion system lab testing, spare parts and training. The project marks the first time GE’s Oil & Gas business will supply Frame 6 units with IGCC technology.
GE’s Oil & Gas business is a world leader in advanced technology turbomachinery products and services, with engineering and manufacturing centres of excellence throughout Europe and the US. Based in Florence, Italy, the company offers complete solutions for production, LNG, transportation, storage, refineries, petrochemicals and distribution systems, as well as pipeline integrity solutions including analysis and pipeline asset management.