US offshore engineering contractor McDermott International has announced being on schedule with most of its jobs for Saudi Aramco’s Safaniya offshore oil field project.

Engineering and procurement for the Safaniya Phase 5 project are nearing completion, with the first two platforms fully constructed.

Safaniya Phase 6 is proceeding as scheduled with the first steel plate cut on 12 March.

Another recent Aramco award covering 13 new jackets is also proceeding as per plan, with the first structural steel expected to arrive at McDermott’s fabrication yard in Dubai’s Jebel Ali ‘shortly’, the Houston-headquartered firm said in its financial statement for the first quarter of 2018.

McDermott is one of the five offshore engineering contractors which have an exclusive arrangement with Saudi Aramco, under a long-term agreement (LTA), to bid for the oil giant’s offshore projects.

The company is also on course to complete its acquisition of US onshore engineering firm Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) by the end of this quarter, a merger which is expected to significantly enhance McDermott’s oil and gas services portfolio.