J. Ray McDermott Middle East Inc. has begun load-outs on its recently completed fabrication contract for five jackets and three production deck modules for Aramco Overseas Co., to be installed in the Abu Safa, Marjan, Safaniya, and Zuluf fields off Saudi Arabia. That contract was awarded last May, and work began in mid-June at the Jebel Ali facility in Dubai. Included in the fabrication contract are spools, risers, and shrouds for eight pipelines. "It was imperative that the fabrication work be completed within just 5 months to ensure that the separate offshore installation program tied in with the limited availability of the individual installation spreads," said Stewart Mitchell, J. Ray McDermott's project manager for Saudi American Oil Co. projects. The work was completed under a fast-track schedule. Shore-based lifting equipment loaded the units on transportation barges. Total weight of the fabricated components was about 6,700 tons. J. Ray McDermott has installed more than 37,000 tons of fabricated structures and more than 700 miles of subsea pipelines for Aramco Overseas Co. since 1964. (A special report on Middle East opportunities begins on p. 34.) Photo courtesy of J. Ray McDermott.
