Safaniya Expansion

Safaniya Expansion Oil Field Profile

Location

The Safaniya Expansion Oil Field is located offshore in the Persian Gulf, approximately 200km north of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The exact coordinates are 28.28, 48.75 (WGS 84).

Ownership and Operation

The field is owned and operated by the state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco.

Discovery and Production History

The Safaniya oil field, of which the Safaniya Expansion is a part, was discovered in 1951 and began production in April 1957. Initially, it produced 50,000 barrels of oil per day from 18 wells, and by 1962, the production was increased to seven times that amount with 25 producing wells.

Reserves and Geology

The Safaniya oil field is one of the largest offshore oil fields in the world, with estimated reserves of 37 billion barrels of oil and 5,360 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The field represents an anticline structure and is comprised of sandstone and shale of the Wasia formation. The vertical depth for potential production from the reservoir ranges between 4,000ft and 7,000ft.

Current Status and Expansion Plans

The Safaniya Expansion is currently in the development phase. Here are some key details:

• Status: In development.
• Final Investment Decision (FID) Year: 2019.
• Expected Production Start Year: 2027.

Production Capacity

The Safaniya Expansion is designed to have a production capacity of 255.5 million barrels per year.

Infrastructure and Development

The expansion is part of the broader Safaniya Master Development Plan initiated by Saudi Aramco to maintain the field’s production level. Here are some infrastructure and development aspects:

• Platforms and Wells: The field operates with a series of platforms, including single-well to eight-well configurations. There are plans for additional platforms, such as the installation of new slipover platforms and the upgrade of existing wellheads.
• Gas-Oil Separation Plants (GOSPs): The field uses both offshore and onshore GOSPs, with four offshore GOSPs currently in operation. New GOSPs and trunk lines are being installed as part of the expansion.
• Power Supply: The expansion includes the installation of new electrical distribution platforms and the provision of power supply through submarine composite cables. For example, the TP-20 platform, which is part of the earlier phase of the expansion, receives 152MW of electric power via a submarine composite cable.

Recent Developments and Challenges

In early 2024, there were reports that Saudi Aramco had dialed down plans for capacity expansion, which might affect the timeline of the Safaniya Expansion. However, projects that had already reached FID, including some other expansions, were expected to continue as planned, though the status of Safaniya was noted as likely to be deferred.

Phase-Specific Details

The Safaniya Master Development Plan involves multiple phases to upgrade the field's infrastructure:

• Phase 1: Included the installation of a new tie-in platform (TP-20), a 42in-diameter, 53km-long trunk line, and the energization of the platform via a submarine composite cable.
• Phase 8: Involves the development of six slipover platforms, several kilometers of subsea pipelines and cables, and other associated offshore infrastructure. This phase was expected to be completed by Q1 of 2021 but may be subject to delays or changes in plans.

The ongoing and planned developments are aimed at sustaining the production capacity of the Safaniya field, which is crucial for Saudi Aramco's overall oil production strategy.