Bahrain-Saudi A-B pipeline to be completed this year

Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority is working on the implementation of a number of vital projects that support the development of the oil and gas sector in the kingdom, said Oil Minister Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

The kingdom this year will complete major projects including the new 350,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) pipeline (A-B) between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that will replace the existing 230,000 bpd link, the minister said in his inaugural address to the second Middle East Refining Technology Conference.

“More than 50 per cent of the construction and modernisation of the pipeline has been completed and the pipeline is now being buried in the south of Bahrain. The project is moving steadily according to the plan and budget,” he said.

The engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract for the multi-billion-dollar Bapco Modernisation Programme (BMP) was recently awarded to a consortium led by TechnipFMC.

Shaikh Mohamed said the oil sector in the kingdom is currently working out a clear strategy for involving the private sector in the implementation and management of the oil projects, citing the case of the Bahrain LNG Import Terminal, which is being developed in partnership with the private sector (with a consortium of Teekay, GIC and Samsung).

He also said the third gas plant, owned by Bahrain National Gas Company (expansion), will start operating by the last quarter of this year.

The minister stressed the need for more investments and advanced technology and engineering solutions to the various challenges facing the refining industry. As a result of population growth and increased demand for energy, there was a need for further efforts to strengthen the cooperation between the refining industry and technology companies.

This represents a challenge for technology companies to devise creative solutions that will help refining companies to enhance operational efficiency and improve financial returns. It was also vital to take full advantage of technological solutions available to rationalise operational expenditure in this sector,