Contractor on track with construction of Adnoc sulphur pipeline

15 October 2018
The new pipeline will transport increased volumes of molten sulphur from the Shah sour gas field to the processing plant in Ruwais

The sour gas division of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Sour Gas) has said the contractor building a pipeline to transport molten sulphur from its Shah sour gas field development, is proceeding as planned.

The engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and commissioning of the new pipeline, which is part of Adnoc Sour Gas’ $11bn megaproject to maximise value from Abu Dhabi’s sour gas reserves, is being carried out by MMEC Mannesmann.

The German firm was awarded the contract, estimated to be worth $80m, in May this year.

The pipeline will carry the liquid sulphur from the main processing plant at the Shah gas field to the granulation sulphur plant located 11 kilometres away. There the sulphur is granulated, stockpiled, and ultimately transported, via rail, to a sulphur handling terminal at Adnoc’s Ruwais downstream hub.

The pipeline, which is a component of Adnoc’s plans to expand sulphur production in future, is scheduled to be commissioned in 2019.

Nearly 60 per cent of the value of the EPC contract will flow back into UAE's economy under Adnoc’s In-Country Value programme, it said in a statement.

Adnoc Sour Gas, the 60:40 joint venture of Adnoc and the US’ Occidental Petroleum, currently produces 1 billion cubic feet of sour gas a day (cf/d).

The Shah gas plant processes the feedstock to produce 500 million cf/d of network gas, 4,400 tonnes a day of natural gas liquids, 33,000 barrels a day of condensates and around 10,000 tonnes a day of pure granulated sulphur.

Among Adnoc’s 2030 strategic objectives, is its plans to increase sour gas processing capacity by 50 per cent.

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