Loading Platform Crosses Red Sea

For the first time in Saudi Aramco's history, a 670-ton offshore loading platform crossed the Red Sea on a barge. The platform traveled 160 nautical miles from Egypt's Port Jebel al-Zayt, coming to rest at Duba Bulk Plant on Saudi Arabia's northern Red Sea coast. The 40- by 20-meter platform - with three multi-product loading arms, a hydraulic gangway, five fire-water pumps, a 6-meter observation tower and control room, and a mooring system - was floated onto the Petroleum Marine Services 46 barge and maneuvered in the 200-meter water toward the fixed jetty, using a single tug boat.

The giant structure will be used to offload gasoline, diesel and kerosene - also known as white products - to supply the northern part of the Kingdom, from Duba to Tabuk, Turaif and al-Jouf.

"This endeavor, one of our most challenging, helps meet our strategic objective to ensure a reliable source of supply in the Kingdom," said Saud H. Saber, manager of Western Region Distribution.

The offshore platform is one of the major components of the Fixed Jetty Project at Duba Bulk Plant. The project entails construction of a pier, mooring and breasting dolphins, an offloading platform and connecting bridges, along with offshore and onshore pipelines, tanks and metering stations.

The facility will be used to offload white products from ships with a capacity of 50,000 dead weight tons, compared to the previous 12,000-ton capacity.

The project will make Duba Bulk Plant a major source of supply for northern Saudi Arabia.