A crane works to erect a process flare stack at the Midyan Gas Plant project site. Started in 2013, construction on the plant is now 86% complete, and it is scheduled to go into full operation by the end of the year.
Once gas from Midyan reaches the Al-Muwaylih power plant, it will produce 570 megawatts of power, including 50 megawatts that will be produced by the Saudi Electricity Company’s (SEC) high-efficiency solar thermal power station.
Discovered in 1992, the Midyan field is enhancing the company’s gas production strategy to achieve several objectives by supporting the national economy and opening up important industrial opportunities. The plant adopts the Green Duba initiative which limits the burning of crude oil and diesel to generate electricity, replacing them with gas which is known to be efficient, clean, and low-cost. Gas is also an environmentally friendly fuel that produces lower harmful emissions.
Midyan Gas Plant receives gas supplies from seven surrounding wells, and is designed to produce and process 75 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of non-associated gas and 4,500 barrels per day of condensates. The plant will supply the products to a high-efficiency power plant in Al-Muwaylih near Duba for use in electricity generation. The power plant will receive the largest amount of gas and the remaining will be saved for future projects in the area such as an industrial zone.
The project promotes the In-Kingdom Total Value Added (IKTVA) initiative in terms of maximizing local content. Installation was a hallmark in the plant, where internal parts were provided from a domestic manufacturer, then sent away to be installed and then re-shipped to the Duba Port to be assembled at the project site. The 19 units — the full number of construction units — are easy to install and remove, making it easy for Saudi Aramco to relocate the plant, if needed.
The generators are powered by variable speed engines that help reduce energy consumption and are one of the new energy efficiency technologies deployed in the plant project.
Midyan Gas Plant Project Strategies
- The first turnkey project to design and build the plant completely in-Kingdom in accordance with Saudi Aramco specifications and standards with a contractor from the Kingdom.
- First plant in the Kingdom where gas processing units have been fabricated off-site, then transported and installed on-site, which expedited the execution and reduced the cost, with also the possibility of re-use in future projects.
- Joint cooperation with appropriate parties in the region, which facilitated operations
- Creating job opportunities for fresh graduates in engineering and professional fields in the project
- Using the Duba Port for the first time to transport equipment from outside the Kingdom.
Notable Achievements of the Project
- 5 million man-hours without any lost-time injuries
- 66% of purchases and 20% of operations awarded to local vendors and contractors
- 150 Saudis received engineering and professional training in the project
- 700 tons of heavy equipment cleared from Duba Port on three shipments in a record three days for each shipment
- Promoting tourism through the distribution of brochures promoting the many archaeological sites in the region that can be visited.