Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporter, has fired the starting gun on multiple engineering, procurement, construction and installation deals, aimed at the further expansion of the huge Marjan offshore oilfield.

The Saudi Arabian behemoth is fast-tracking several offshore oilfield development projects as it nears its production ceiling amid Western calls for more oil, and is keen to boost capacity.

Aramco said it will expand what it call its maximum sustainable capacity to 13 million barrels per day by 2027, up from the existing 12 million bpd level, with the majority of incremental volumes expected to come from Zuluf, Safaniyah, Marjan and Berri offshore oilfields.