Getting to work: in Saudi Arabia
Khursaniyah 'under starter's orders'
The central gas processing facility at state oil giant Saudi Aramco's 500,000 barrels per day Khursaniyah oilfield is expected to begin operations by October, according to reports.
The plant had been due to come on stream in December 2007, but construction had been delayed due to a shortage of labour and materials, a source said.
"The gas plant has two trains. The first one will be ready to start operations in July and the second train by October," a source told Reuters.
The onshore gas plant can process around 1 billion cubic feet per day of gas from the Abu Hadriya, Fadhili and Khursaniyah fields, as well as gas from the 1.5 Bcfd Karan field.
Aramco said last September it had started pumping crude from Khursaniyah, but had not specified actual output.
Start up for oil output from Khursaniyah had also been planned for December 2007, but the delays in the construction of the gas facility meant this date had to be pushed back.
The oilfield, the largest single increment to global oil production capacity for several years is part of the kingdom's broader plan to boost oil production capacity to 12.5 million bpd by the middle of this year.
Actual sustainable capacity may be slightly lower due to field decline elsewhere.
The Khursaniyah field produces light crude, favoured by global refiners because it is easier than heavy crude to process for transport fuels.
Most Saudi gas is produced in association with oil output. Gas supplies became tight as the world's top oil exporter is cutting output after falling global oil demand.