Al-Qatif Field serves as one of the most important and oldest fields that produce a mixture of Arab light crude oil. It is located in al-Qatif Governorate, north of Dhahran in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was discovered in 1945, and four additional wells were drilled in al-Qatif region in 1948.
Al-Qatif Field production
The production of al-Qatif Field is five hundred thousand barrels per day. Its development began in 2001 and was completed in July 2004, three months ahead of schedule. The first major increase in crude oil production in the new millennium was in al- Qatif project, which increased production capacity by eight hundred thousand barrels per day in the summer of 2004.
Al-Qatif Field represents a major addition to the production operations of Saudi Aramco, and its area exceeds 312 km, including the north and south domes formations. The onshore part of this project produces five hundred thousand barrels per day of Arab Light crude.
Crude oil production plants in al-Qatif
To achieve optimal utilization of the field, al- Qatif crude oil production plants project was launched on December 26, 2004. The production plants are considered one of the most important petroleum projects at both national and international levels. They significantly contribute to increasing the Kingdom’s production capacity and bolstering its capability to sustain the execution of its constructive petroleum policy. Additionally, they reinforce its leadership and distinguished role in the global petroleum market and industry.
The production plants in al-Qatif offer numerous petroleum products. The plant's program includes processing and transporting the Arab Light Crude Oil mixture from al-Qatif Field, in addition to three hundred thousand barrels per day of medium Arab crude oil from the Abu Sa'fa Offshore Field.
In total, the project includes three gas-oil separation plants, five new and ten upgraded offshore platforms, expansion of the Berri Gas Plant, thirty-four artificial drilling islands, more than one thousand km of pipelines, and other support facilities.
Al-Qatif Facility was the company's first facility to produce Arab Light Crude Oil, blending Arab Very Light, Light, and Medium Crude Oil, along with producing 370 million ft per day of associated gas.
When the production plant project was established in al-Qatif, it was considered a significant undertaking by the standards of the international petroleum industry. Never before had the industry witnessed a project of such scale completed within a single period and in one region throughout its modern history.
A new generation of plants
The establishment of these plants underscores the engineering and operational capabilities of the Kingdom, exemplifying the new generation of Saudi Aramco plants in terms of environmental efficiency. The design process consumed 1.8 million man-hours, while construction required 65 million man-hours. The plants were developed using the latest petroleum industry technologies, with the aim of increasing operational effectiveness and environmental safety simultaneously. This is achieved through a combustion system on land that does not generate smoke. Additionally, the project includes a new sulfur extraction system with a high efficiency of 99 percent.
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