meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Contractors submit bids for Safaniya offshore field expansion

3 September 2025

Contractors in Saudi Aramco’s pool of offshore engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) service providers have submitted bids for three tenders representing the next phase of infrastructure expansion at the Safaniya offshore oil field development in Saudi Arabia.

The tenders are numbered 154, 155 and 156 on Aramco’s Contract Release and Purchase Order (CRPO) system.

Offshore LTA contractors submitted bids for CRPOs 154, 155 and 156 by the deadline of 31 August, according to sources.

The Saudi energy giant issued these CRPOs to its offshore LTA contractors in February, with an initial bid submission deadline of 31 July. Aramco later extended the deadline to 28 August, and then again to 31 August, sources told MEED.

The brief scope of EPCI work on the three tenders is as follows:

CRPO 154:

EPCI of a water injection tie-in platform; two production deck modules (PDMs)/wellhead platforms; associated pipelines; hook-ups; and subsea valve skids

CRPO 155:

EPCI of four PDMs; intra-field and main trunklines to shore; and jackets

CRPO 156:

EPCI of a 48-inch trunkline covering a distance of 62 kilometres from the Safaniya offshore oil field to the onshore processing facility; plus hook-ups and associated structures.

Aramco intends to award the EPCI contracts for CRPOs 154, 155 and 156 in January next year, as per sources.

The oil giant's LTA pool of offshore service providers comprises the following entities:

  • Saipem (Italy)
  • McDermott International (US)
  • Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (LTEH, India) / Subsea7 (UK)
  • NMDC Energy (UAE)
  • Lamprell (UAE/Saudi Arabia)
  • China Offshore Oil Engineering Company 
  • Dynamic Industries (US)
  • Sapura Energy (Malaysia)
  • TechnipFMC (France) / MMHE (Malaysia)
  • Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)

Aramco renewed its LTAs in April with the following contractors, whose contracts had either lapsed or were close to expiry:

  • Saipem
  • McDermott International
  • Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon / Subsea7
  • NMDC Energy
  • Lamprell
  • China Offshore Oil Engineering Company

In addition to advancing the project to expand infrastructure at the Safaniya offshore oil field development, MEED recently reported that Aramco is also progressing with a separate project to build onshore surface facilities aimed at boosting the field’s productivity.

Contractors have been given deadlines of 24 October and 7 November to submit technical and commercial bids for the Safaniya onshore surface facilities project.

Offshore contract awards rebound

Concerns had grown in Saudi Arabia’s offshore market as EPCI contract awards stalled earlier this year.

Aramco spent a record $5bn on offshore EPCI contracts in 2024 and was expected to exceed that in 2025. However, it awarded no CRPOs in the first half of the year, fuelling concern among contractors and suppliers.

In July, Aramco eased speculation by selecting contractors for five CRPOs – numbers 150, 157, 158, 159 and 160 – worth over $3bn. These involve EPCI work and infrastructure upgrades at the Abu Safah, Berri, Manifa, Marjan and Zuluf offshore fields.

Furthermore, Aramco picked contractors for four more CRPOs that are part of a large-scale project to expand infrastructure at the Zuluf offshore field development. The tenders are CRPOs 145, 146, 147 and 148, and their combined value is estimated to be almost $6bn.

With these contract awards, Aramco has almost doubled its capex on offshore projects this year compared to 2024, marking yet another year of robust upstream project spending.

Looking ahead, Aramco is evaluating bids it has received for a total of seven key tenders in July and August.

In addition to CRPOs 154, 155 and 156, those tenders are CRPO 161, which broadly covers the EPCI of four gas jackets at the Arabiyah, Hasbah and Karan fields, and CRPOs 162, 163 and 164, which relate to the EPCI of key infrastructure at the Abu Safah, Berri, Karan, Marjan and Safaniya fields.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14595783/main.jpg
Indrajit Sen

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles