Saipem announced on Sunday that it won an offshore EPCI contract by QatarEnergy LNG for the COMP5 package of the North Field Production Sustainability (NFPS) Offshore Compression Complexes project.
The overall value of the contract is approximately $4 billion and Saipem’s share amounts to approximately $3.1 billion.
Saipem noted that the NFPS project is part of QatarEnergy LNG’s strategy of maintaining and increasing the production capacity of the North Field, the world’s largest “non-associated” natural gas field, located off the north-eastern coast of Qatar.
The contract awarded to Saipem, with a total duration of approximately 5 years, comprises engineering, procurement, fabrication, and installation of two compression complexes, each including a compression platform, a living quarter platform, a flare platform supporting the gas combustion system, and the related interconnecting bridges.
Each complex will have a total weight of about 68,000 tons.
Offshore installation operations will be carried out by Saipem’s De He construction vessel in 2029 and 2030.
Saipem noted that this new contract follows the EPCI COMP2 and COMP3 packages, awarded to Saipem and disclosed to the market in October 2022 and September 2024 respectively, which are currently under execution.
Massive LNG expansion
QatarEnergy LNG currently operates 14 LNG production trains with a capacity of about 77 mtpa in Ras Laffan.
The company is working on the giant North Field LNG expansion program, which includes the North Field South and North Field West projects.
Together, these will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from the current 77 mtpa to 142 mtpa in 2030.
The first two projects include six mega trains, each with a production capacity of 8 mtpa of LNG.
Four of these are part of the North Field East expansion project, and two are part of the North Field South expansion project.
In February 2024, QatarEnergy also announced the North Field West project which will add 16 mtpa of LNG to the overall expansion of the North Field.
