Worley wins pre-Feed contract for Saudi refinery project

WORLEY, a leading engineering group, has been awarded a services contract for a residue upgrade project at Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery.

As per the contract, Worley will provide early front-end engineering design (pre-FEED), front-end engineering design (FEED) and project management services for the entire project. These services cover upgrades to the atmospheric and vacuum gas oil from the crude distillation unit, and an upgrade to the atmospheric gas oil from the Khuff condensate unit, says the company.

 Advisian, Worley’s consulting business, led the front-end conceptual studies evaluating multiple process configurations. This included the development of cost estimates for possible options, integration of technology licensors, and optimisation of existing brownfield assets.

The project is mainly aimed at converting low-value refinery residue into higher-value products including gasoline, jet fuel and ultra-low sulphur diesel.

“Worley has a long-standing relationship with Aramco and this important project builds on our extensive experience at the Ras Tanura refinery,” says Mark Brantley, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Worley. “We will combine our global refining and in-kingdom engineering and project management expertise to continue delivering sustainable operations to Aramco, while also remaining committed to upskilling our Saudi workforce.”

Between 2007 and 2013, Worley provided front-end engineering and project management services for the refinery’s major expansion. Worley’s scope also covered modifications to the refinery to comply with future environmental regulations.

Galfar secures $54m Muscat airport project work

LEADING Omani construction firm Galfar Engineering and Contracting said it has been awarded a contract worth RO21 million ($54 million) for undertaking key rehabilitation works at Muscat International Airport.

The scope of work in the MC15 project awarded by Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority includes rehabilitation of the southern runway and air corridors of the airport, said the company in its filing to the Muscat bourse.

A major player in the region, Galfar Engineering & Contracting is engaged in the provision of engineering, contracting, and construction services.

Galfar said work is set to begin soon on the MC15 project which will be completed within a period of 16 months.

 This project is expected to contribute to the company’s revenues and help boost its presence in such vital infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the contracting firm has been assigned the contract for the rehabilitation of Al Batinah Highway, following damages caused by cyclone Shaheen. The contract is worth  RO9 million.

National Marine Dredging net profit up, revenue hits $1.4bn

NATIONAL Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) has reported a significant increase in its net profit for the first nine months of the year which surged to hit AED501 million ($137 million).

The profitable third quarter performance followed the integration of NMDC and National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) to become a regional leader in providing integrated oil and gas and marine EPC services.

Announcing the results for the nine-month period ended September 30, NMDC said its revenue surged to hit AED5.380 billion ($1.44 billion), growing twofold from last year’s figures of AED2.786 billion.

 Underlining the strong recovery following the pandemic, the profitable financial performance was backed by strong new business wins.

 NMDC clinched the AED485-million Dadna Fujairah Project in addition to the AED150-million Bardawil project and AED290-million Damietta project in Egypt.

The group continued to achieve new milestones in its ongoing projects such as Hail and Ghasha for Adnoc in the UAE and long-term agreements for various projects in Saudi Arabia.

In the third quarter of 2021, NPCC was selected as one of the eight companies to be awarded the opportunity to provide engineering services for key projects for Adnoc which are valued at approximately AED3.67 billion. Adnoc will advise on the specifics of these projects in due course.

Group CEO Yasser Zaghloul says: “Our robust financial performance for the third quarter – and the nine months of 2021 – highlight the success of our strategic initiatives to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and to build a strong integrated organisation that adds value to our partners, customers and all stakeholders. We focused on cost optimisation as well as resource use efficiency and won impressive new projects that further set the platform for sustainable growth in the coming period. We have a strong business model that will continue to steer our growth.”

NMDC says its combination with NPCC creates one of the leading entities in the industry, with an established footprint across Mena and South Asia. The businesses are complementary, and the transaction provides significant revenue diversification for the combined group. By creating a single platform, the combined group is ideally positioned to capture growth opportunities in the UAE and in key regional markets, with strong capabilities across the value chain to support future expansion plans, it adds.