Abu Dhabi-based National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) has announced the groundbreaking for a new 400,000-sq-m fabrication yard in Ras Al Khair port located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

 

NPCC, a subsidiary of National Marine Dredging Company, said the new yard, which will house the fabrication of jackets and platforms, is a state-of-the-art facility that will include automated workshops and an advanced marine system. 

 

The Abu Dhabi group said it will provide fabrication, maintenance, rigging and erection services, and be operational between all three phases of construction.

 

The first phase of the project will be completed by the third quarter of 2023, it added.

 

According to NPCC, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior representatives from NMDC Group, Saudi Aramco and Saudi Ports Authority Mawani. 

 

Ras Al Khair is Saudi Arabia's newest industrial port that serves more than 100 manufacturing projects and has an area of 23 km² and 14 berths equipped with assets to handle general and bulk cargos.  

 

National Marine Dredging Group CEO Engineer Yasser Zaghloul said: "The new fabrication yard builds on our longstanding relationship, ongoing growth journey and expansion strategy in the kingdom and complements our current projects in Saudi Arabia, which will add to our local competencies."

 

The capacity of the fabrication yard is expected to reach 60,000 tonnes per year by the end of the final phase, scheduled for 2026.

 

"We look forward to further broadening our level of collaboration with Saudi industry players and solidifying our position as the EPC major of choice for global NOCs," he stated.

 

Engineer Ahmed Al Dhaheri, the CEO of NPCC, said: "This new milestone lays the foundation for our next chapter of growth in Saudi Arabia and is in line with our commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s localization efforts and creating in-country value."

 

NPCC has had a long-standing presence in the Kingdom and is a strong partner with key Saudi industry players, which led to the company working on major projects including the extension works for a new condensate export terminal at the Jafurah field, and the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and installation of 14 SSS Jackets at Manifa field. 

 

"The new yard also signals our clients’ trust in NPCC’s capabilities and allows us to extend our expertise to new strategic infrastructure projects in the Kingdom, increase our regional market share, and reinforce our position as a trusted partner of choice across the EPC ecosystem," he added.

 

Earlier this year, NPCC had won two sizeable offshore contracts for the multi-billion Zuluf incremental project, a giant offshore oil field located in the Arabian Gulf, about 240km north of Dhahran. 

 

Back in 2019, it was also awarded three contracts to deliver a wide range of services comprising detailed engineering, fabrication, manufacturing, procurement, and commissioning of multiple steel structures of various types.-TradeArabia News Service