Saudi Aramco has awarded three procurement and installation contracts worth a total of $154 million to the local Metal Services for Trading & Contracting Company (Metal Serv) covering gas pipelines, pumping stations and asphalt-handling facilities in the kingdom.

The largest contract, called onshore maintenance potential, is worth $120 million and involves the servicing and upkeep of gas pipelines in 14 areas including Abqaiq, Qatif, Shaybah, Shedgum and Uthmaniyah. The five-year contract covers the southern area onshore oil fields in the Eastern Province. The scope of work includes the installation of flowlines and water injection lines (MEED 17:7:05).

The second contract is for the construction of facilities to handle additional volumes of asphalt to be produced at the Ras Tanura refinery. Worth $20 million, it includes: the construction of two new tanks, each with capacity of 30,000 barrels; installation of a new asphalt loading pump and a control valve; and replacement of the existing pipelines.

A $14 million contract has also been awarded for the DR-1 pump station to Abqaiq gas-oil separation plant 5 (GOSP-5) project. The scope of work entails the installation of: two 20-inch-diameter pipelines with a total length of six kilometres from the Abqaiq junction to GOSP-5; two new shipping pumps, also at GOSP-5; a 3,150-barrel firewater tank and upgrade of the existing system; and a new booster pump at the Dhahran bulk plant shipping facilities. The contract is due to for completion in early 2007.