Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas operating assets are as well guarded as any military base in the Middle East.

This still does not mean that they could not come under attack, only that if they did it would be extremely difficult to breach the security measures.

However, Aramco’s offshore oil and gas fields pose unique challenges from a security perspective. With this in mind, the company has decided to act.

Security experts have said that offshore oil and gas infrastructure would be easier to attack than onshore facilities due to the open sea around such facilities being much more difficult to patrol than land. Risks include air attacks in addition to longer-range rocket attacks from small vessels.  

Aramco is planning to spend up to $1bn protecting its offshore platforms and this will incorporate a number of significant investments. Twelve patrol vessels will guard Aramco’s Gulf operations and an early warning radar system and camera monitoring will be controlled from a land-based centre in Ras Tanura.

It is not known what has prompted Aramco to initiative these measures, but it is clear the company wants to ramp up its security as quickly as possible.

Several global defence contractors are keen to be involved, which is evident in the companies that have been prequalified to bid on the main contract.

Keeping assets secure is paramount for any national oil company, but Saudi Aramco is taking its anti-terrorist countermeasures to a new level with this new initiative.