Saudi Aramco has awarded a subsidiary of US-based McDermott International a contract to supply and install two 230kV subsea circuits in the Gulf.

The 20-kilometre lines will supply electricity to Saudi Aramco-operated plants at Ras Abu Ali and Khursaniyah plants.

The cables are expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2015.

The Khursaniyah facilities, located about 140km north of Dhahran, have the capacity to process 500,000 barrels a day (b/d) of crude oil, 1 billion standard cubic feet per day (scf/d) of associated gas and 1.1bn b/d of non-potable water for reservoir maintenance. Ras Abu Ali is around 50 kilomteres north of Jubail and is the site of gas-oil separation and gas gathering facilities for Berri oil field.