Satah Al Razboot (SARB)

Satah Al Razboot (SARB) Oil Field Profile

Location and Geography

• The Satah Al Razboot (SARB) oil field is located approximately 200 kilometers northwest of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• It is situated in shallow water, with a water depth of about 66 feet.

Ownership and Operation

• The field is owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) with a 60% stake, and the remaining 40% is shared between Cepsa (20%) and OMV (20%).

Operator

• The field is operated by ADNOC Offshore, with ADMA-OPCO acting as the operator for the offshore oil and gas fields in the UAE.

Discovery and Development

• The Satah Al Razboot field was discovered in 1969. The Final Investment Decision (FID) was made in 2009, and production began in 2016.

Production Capacity

• The field is designed to produce 100,000 barrels of oil per day (bbl/d), contributing significantly to the UAE's overall oil production capacity.

Infrastructure and Construction

• The project involves the construction of two artificial islands, Sarb1 and Sarb2, which are falcon-shaped and each measure 500 meters. These islands serve as bases for drilling operations and eliminate the need for offshore rigs.
• The development includes the excavation of about 13 million cubic meters of rock and the placement of 4.5 million cubic meters of fill. The islands' boundaries are protected with shore protection using concrete blocks.
• The project encompasses the drilling of 86 oil wells, the installation of two riser platforms, four flare platforms, four interconnecting bridges, and a single point mooring (SPM) buoy located north of the onshore facility.

Processing and Export Facilities

• Oil from the wells is transferred via a subsea pipeline to a new processing facility on Zirku Island, which has a capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil per day. This facility also processes oil from the neighboring Umm al-Lulu oilfield.

Contractors and Contracts

• The contract for the mixed dredging and civil engineering works for the two islands was awarded to Dredging International and Middle East Dredging Company (MEDCO).
• Petrofac was awarded the EPC contract for the offshore part of the project, including subsea connections and drilling works, valued at $500 million. Hyundai E&C (HDEC) was awarded the contract for the processing and export facilities, valued at $1.89 billion.
• Byrne Looby Partners (BLP) was subcontracted for design phase support, project management, and supervision of excavation and filling work. NSCC Ground Improvement, in collaboration with BetterGround, handled the ground improvement works on the islands. Concrete Layer Innovations (CLI) provided the armoured land revetments for the artificial islands.

Additional Projects and Expansion

• An expansion project associated with Satah Al Razboot and Umm Lulu, namely the Umm Lulu SARB Phase 2, is currently in the feasibility stage and is expected to start in 2025.

Reserves and Production

• As of 2021, the remaining reserves of the Satah Al Razboot field were estimated at 1,581.96 million barrels of oil.
• The field's production design capacity is 36.5 million barrels of oil per year. Production from the field currently accounts for approximately 5% of the UAE's daily oil output, with peak production achieved in 2023. Production is expected to continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2071.

Environmental and Technical Considerations

• The construction of the islands involved significant dredging and civil engineering works, including the vibro compaction of about two million cubic meters of material. The project also includes the laying of 200 kilometers of subsea pipelines and 55 kilometers of subsea power and communication cables, as well as a 3-kilometer onshore pipeline.