Saudi Aramco is considering plans to increase the capacity of the $9.28bn offshore Manifa oilfield from 900,000 barrels-a-day (b/d) to 1.2 million-b/d.

Sources in Saudi Arabia tell MEED that the move would also add an extra 40 million cubic-feet-a-day (cf/d) of sour gas from the field located off the coast of the Eastern Province, pushing up the output to 160 million-cf/d.

“Aramco are considering this plan because obviously as much as for the extra gas as for the oil,” the source says. “They can take time to make the decision because the field will not reach its full capacity until 2024.”

Production of 500,000-b/d of oil is expected from Manifa by 2013, with the rest being added incrementally depending on supply and demand. Completion of the project is due in 2015 (MEED 3:12:09).

Another source says the extra capacity will be done in a separate phase if the decision is made to push ahead with the increase.

“The phase will be initiated after the current work is nearing completion so you are looking at 2013 at the earliest,” the source says. “The budget for such work will not be small, but as most of the infrastructure will be in place, it might make financial sense to increase the capacity at Manifa rather than at a smaller field.”

The scope of works includes the construction of 27 manmade islands in the shallow waters, which will serve as platforms for wells at the field. A causeway and onshore facilities are also being constructed that will process the sulphur rich crude oil from Manifa.

Saudi Aramco declined to comment when contacted by MEED.