PDO to inaugurate its second-largest project on Monday

MUSCAT: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) will inaugurate the Yibal Khuff Project (YKP), the second-largest project in its history, under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, on Monday.

YKP Project, located 50 km away from Fahud, is among the strategic projects that contribute to meeting the Sultanate of Oman’s growing medium and long- term oil and gas demands, as well as reducing PDO’s net non-associated gas import.

YKP Project Manager Munir al Hammadi said that the $2.6-billion project is classified among mega projects and comprises oil and gas production plant, which is closer to an oil refinery than a conventional production plant.

The project also involves the drilling of 33 oil and gas production wells linked to the main station with a 198-kilometre pipeline network, in addition to a station to generate 45 megawatts of electricity with a unit to reuse the heat emanating from the generators’ exhaust to produce the steam required for the liquid sulfur production process, he said adding that this mega project will be delivering, when fully operational, five million cubic metres of gas per day and around 20,000 bpd of crude. He added that the project generates over $300 million of In-Country Value (ICV) with focus being placed on the investment in Omanis through the training and qualification of national cadres.

Around 1,200 Omanis have been employed on site in the construction of the facilities, with a further 200 nationals deployed as fully qualified welders. Around US$400 million were also awarded to Omani companies for the provision of goods and services.

This project has achieved several significant firsts, including the first to deliver the tallest column ever fabricated for PDO in Oman. This ‘Made in Oman’ acid gas recovery unit absorber stands at 48 metres high, four metres in diameter, and weighs 291 tonnes. It has also delivered one of PDO’s first Steam Turbine Generators, taking the heat from some of the facilities’ processes and using it to generate steam. — ONA