Saudi Aramco - Offshore Maintain Potential Programme - CRPO 103

Saudi Aramco has extensive offshore operations on its Gulf coast that includes Safaniya, the world's largest offshore oil field, as well as several large non-associated gas fields. Many of the gulf fields are mature and likely to require extensive rehabilitation over the next decade to maintain production. Every year, hundreds of new wells need to be drilled to maintain operations in shallow-water fields.

Saudi Aramco is also carrying out seismic surveys on the Kingdom's Red Sea coast. However, any potential production is still expected to be several years away.

The purpose of the MPP programme is to manage the maintenance, revamping, or expansion operations of all Aramco offshore facilities.

The Manifa oilfield was discovered in 1957 but could not be developed for several years, owing to ecological challenges.

In 2006, with an initial investment of $10 billion, Aramco embarked on a development plan comprising multiple offshore platforms to produce oil from the shallow and ecologically delicate oilfield.

Oil production from Manifa started in 2013 and production hit 500,000 bpd of oil the same year, increasing to 900,000 bpd in 2017, according to Aramco.

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