Sarens, a leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental, has been contracted for the transporting and installation of 34 modules, with a total weight of 18,535 tons, and transportation and lifting of 108 heavy items, with a total weight of 12,283 tons, for the Jafurah Gas Plant Project.

 

Jafurah is one of the largest unconventional gas field development projects in the Middle East. Covering an area of 17,000 km2, it contains around 200 trillion cubic feet of gas and is rich in liquids, such as ethane, propane, butane and condensates.

 

Sarens has extensive oil and gas sector experience in the region and internationally. The company has been contracted on behalf of its client, SAMSUNG SAUDI ARABIA, to provide transportation and heavy lifting services for the gas processing facility.

 

This is a key part of the Jafurah plant, along with the NGL fractionation plant, the gas compression system, and a network of approximately 1,500 kilometers of main transfer pipelines, flow lines and gathering pipelines, which aim to ensure the reliable supply of natural gas and condensates.

 

After studying the work to be performed and considering the weight, length and height of the modules and equipment, the Sarens engineering team selected three cranes with lifting capacities of 1,250, 600 and 150 tons respectively, as well as a 120-axle SPMT (Self Propelled Modular Transport).

 

The main work to be performed by Sarens consists of the transportation and lifting of a total of 34 modules, 30 piperacks and four process unit modules with electrical and mechanical equipment, with a total weight of 18,535 tons.

 

The heaviest module to be transported weighs 1,100 tons and the tallest is up to 42 meters. The 108 heavy items to be transported and lifted weigh a total of 12,283 tons, with the heaviest item weighing 493 tons.

 

To build the modules, a new Aramco external assembly yard was established near the gas field, where the units are manufactured and tested, using more than 11,000 tons of steel in the process. Once completed, the modules are transported to the plant via SPMT.

 

The main challenge of the operation is the location of the plant, which is in a remote area of the desert, about 80 km from the nearest town, and exposed to adverse weather conditions.

 

Nour Jamal, Project Manager, highlighted the success of the project for Sarens: "We were able to overcome the situation thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of our client, Samsung as EPC, and the end customer, Aramco. All transportation and lifting milestones were met on schedule." --OGN/TradeArabia News Service