Saudi Aramco has started prequalification for the rehabilitation of tank farm facilities at the Al-Muajjiz crude oil terminal at Yanbu Industrial Port on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.

Aramco has invited contractors to bid for the scheme on an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) basis and the estimated budget is about $200m. The project will be a brownfield rehabilitation and will be tendered on a cost-reimbursable basis.

“This is a tough project and I am sure Aramco will find that many contractors will not be that interested in participating,” says an oil and gas source based in the kingdom. “The tanks have been in residence for decades and the project will require deft handling, which is why it is EPCM and cost reimbursable.”

The full scope of works will not be known until Aramco releases the tender. This is likely to happen in the second quarter of 2013.

According to the state-owned oil company, the terminal has three berths, each with a maximum loading capacity of 135,000 barrels an hour.

Muajjiz is one of four terminals at Yanbu Industrial Port that handles the import and export of hydrocarbons. The other three are: Yanbu crude oil terminal; Yanbu gas terminal; and Yanbu refinery terminal.