Four prominent international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies are vying for multiple EPC packages offered by Saudi Aramco for the expansion of its Fadhili gas plant.

Saudi Aramco inaugurated the Fadhili gas plant in 2019, initiating the processing of natural gas from non-associated fields in the eastern region. The expansion of the Fadhili project is projected to incur costs in the billions of dollars.

Aramco emphasizes the critical role of the gas plant in its commitment to providing increased supplies of cleaner-burning natural gas, thereby reducing emissions and enabling more crude oil for value-added refining and export. It also supports Saudi Arabia's vision to decrease its reliance on oil-based power generation by boosting sales gas production to 12.2 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd).

The expansion project involves several EPC packages, with the first package encompassing three gas processing trains, each capable of handling 500 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. The second package pertains to sulphur recovery units, while the third focuses on utilities.

The Fadhili gas plant, equipped with a processing capacity of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) from five trains, saw the commissioning of its initial train in 2019.

EPC contractors in contention for these contracts include prominent South Korean firms Samsung Engineering, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, and GS Engineering & Construction, as well as Japan's JGC.