Baker Hughes, an energy technology solutions provider, said it has secured a major contract from Oman LNG to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the turbomachinery scope of the debottlenecking project in the sultanate.

The deal was signed by the duo at Baker Hughes’ 2020 Annual Meeting in Florence, Italy. On completion, the project will help increase Oman LNG production capacity by 10 per cent to 11.4 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

Under the terms of the deal, Baker Hughes will supply the new helper motors, variable-frequency drives and also deliver the EPC services for the said project scope, said a statement from the company.

Feed work was completed for the project last year and it will be executed over the next two years, with the first train completion set for year-end, followed by the second LNG train in 2021 and the third the following year.

On the big win, Mokthar Fawaz, VP (Turbomachinery & Process Solutions) for Mena region said this project truly exemplifies the value of legacy partnerships.

"The opportunity for this seminal debottlenecking project grew from our more than 16-year relationship serving Oman LNG’s turbomachinery fleet with our equipment and employing top-of-the-line LNG technology and solutions," stated Fawaz.

According to him, the debottlenecking is the process of highlighting specific areas in production trains, machinery equipment or the workflow configuration that would limit or constrain the flow of product inside plant.

"By optimising plant operations, overall capacity can be raised further. The debottlenecking project comes as part of Oman LNG’s far-sighted strategic projects that will boost its efficiency," he explained.

Harib Al Kitani, the chief executive of Oman LNG, said: "To accommodate additional feed gas, we have implemented a number of key activities and projects to boost its plant efficiency and increase the LNG output."

"The ambitious debottlenecking project is very important for our company. We have partnered in this initiative with organisations such as Baker Hughes as they have proper execution, integration and ensure flawless project delivery while sharing similar safety values as ours", observed Al Kitani.

As the original equipment manufacturer of the debottlenecking equipment in the three LNG trains, Baker Hughes was selected by Oman LNG for the project mainly to minimise executional risks and build upon the 16-year relationship between the two companies, said the US-based company.

Baker Hughes has serviced the plant's turbomachinery fleet in the region under a global contractual services agreement since 2004, it added.-TradeArabia News Service