Saudi Aramco has signed a contract with J. Ray McDermott, S.A., a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc., a U.S. oil and gas services company, to develop and construct platforms and a subsea pipeline at the offshore Karan Gas field. J. Ray McDermott won the turnkey contract that includes manufacturing and installation of four platforms and the construction of a 110-kilometer subsea pipeline to carry offshore sour gas from the Karan field to be treated and processed at the onshore Khursaniyah Gas Plant. The Karan gas field is Saudi Aramco's first offshore non-associated gas project to be developed, and responds to the growth of domestic demand for gas in Saudi Arabia. The Karan gas project is expected to process 1.8 billion standard cubic feet per day of gas, with the start-up of production scheduled for mid-2011, according to a report carried by Saudi Aramco's web-site yesterday. --MORE
