RIYADH, November 03, 2010 -- Some big players in the world economy visited the Khurais Field on Oct. 16 to learn about Saudi Aramco’s role in energy security.
A number of deputy finance ministers and central bank officials from G-20 countries were in Riyadh to attend an energy security workshop organized by the Ministry of Finance.
The visitors were received by Yousef Al-Furaidan, manager of the Khurais Field Department, Fahad Al-Turaif, deputy manager of Saudi Aramco Affairs in the Riyadh Area, and other Khurais and Public Relations members.
Al-Furaidan described the Khurais Oil Increment Program, saying the program is one of the largest increments in the history of the oil industry, providing 1.2 million barrels per day of Arabian Light Crude.
Construction on the program started in 2006, Al-Furaidan said, and despite all the challenges the project faced, it was completed on schedule in June 2009. Twenty-six contractor companies worked in various stages. Construction consumed 145,000 tons of steel, 4,000 kilometers of pipes and 11,000 kilometers of electrical cables.
Al-Furaidan said the project met all Saudi Aramco and international safety standards, as well as international environmental standards for emissions, waste and noise.
In support of the local economy, he said, Saudi Aramco procured more than 60 percent of the equipment used in building the project from the domestic market. Ninety-eight percent of the facilities’ operators are Saudis, he added.
Faisal Al-Behairi, a senior production engineer, presented a synopsis of the
Khurais Field, covering its location, boundaries, size and operations. Al-Behairi explained that Khurais production exceeds that of some oil-producing nations. He also described the advanced, state-of-the-art technologies employed at the field, including advanced pumps, smart gauges and meters, and communication systems.
The visitors toured facilities such as the production complex and control rooms.