Saudi Aramco has increased the capacity of its Shaybah oil field in the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) from 500,000 barrels a day (b/d) to 750,000 b/d following the completion of a three-year construction programme.

According to the state-run oil giant, the project has added a gas-oil separation plant and expanded gas compression injection facilities.

Canada’s SNC Lavalin won the $700m design and build lump-sum turnkey contract covering the expansion in March 2006.

The other contractors who worked on the project were Japan’s NEC and South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, as well as local firms Nesma, NCC and Al-Falak.

Aramco has also launched a scheme at Shaybah to build facilities capable of processing up to 7.2 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas as part of a 20-year masterplan (MEED 3:7:09).