Saudi Aramco has enlisted a Volvo Construction Equipment pipe-laying unit to support work on the pipeline extension at Khurais oilfield.
The Volvo CE PL4608 rotating pipe layer is the first machine of its kind to work in the region, and will lay pipe from Khurais’ east-west pumping station number one to pumping station number three.
The unit is being used as part of Aramco’s efforts to increase the oilfield’s capacity from 11.3mn to 12.5mn barrels per day (bpd).
“We are proud to be the first pipeline contractor in Saudi Arabia to have a Volvo pipe layer in our fleet,” commented Yousef Abu Gafra, manager of equipment operations at Gulf Consolidated Contractors, the firm employed by Aramco to complete the project.
“No competitor machine is capable of matching the Volvo’s features and performance in terms of safety, operator visibility, stability, and length of the boom,” he added.
The Volvo unit will have to operate in challenging working conditions throughout the length of the project. Summer temperatures average 45°C, and have been known to hit highs of 54°C. Sandstorms are also a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, the Kingdom’s winter brings with it a different set of challenges: near freezing temperatures, a total lack of humidity, and high wind-chill factors.
Even so, Gafra and his colleagues are confident that the PL4608 is equal to the task at hand. The machine boasts an 80-tonne tipping capacity, a hydraulically variable undercarriage, an on-board load-management system (LMS), and an elevating cab for increased visibility.
“There is no doubt that the PL4608 is a durable and reliable machine,” said Gafra.
“Based on its previous performance and the feedback from our people at this site, we are going to increase the amount of these Volvo machines on our future projects,” he revealed.
In total, the Khurais pipeline extension will cover a distance of 150km, and is scheduled to take 27 months to complete. Machine support for the project is being provided by Volvo CE’s authorised KSA distributor, FAMCO.
