Baker Hughes (BHGE) has bagged a subsea contract from Petrobel for the second phase of the supergiant gas field Zohr in offshore Egypt.

Under the contract, the GE company will be responsible for project management, engineering procurement, fabrication, construction, testing and transportation of a subsea production system.

As part of the subsea production system, BHGE will be handling seven manifolds, tie-in systems, long offset subsea and topside control systems, workover systems and tools, SemStar5 HIPPS (high integrity pressure protection) Systems.

Besides, the company will support the installation, commissioning and start-up operations of the underwater production system.

BHGE president and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said: “The Zohr Field is one of the most significant developments of its kind, and through this project we can show the efficiency gains that such complex projects can achieve through our enhanced portfolio.

“This project has the potential to meet Egypt’s growing gas demand and save the country billions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on importing gas.”

A joint venture between Eni’s Egyptian subsidiary IEOC and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Petrobel will handle the development of the Zohr gas field. Petrobel will work on behalf of PetroSherouk, which in turn is a joint venture between IEOC and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS).

Petrobel chairman and managing director Eng. Atef Hassan said: “Partnering with BHGE on this project demonstrates the growing need for long-term service and equipment providers that complement our efforts in driving optimized production.

“The Zohr Field will contribute to the development and sustainability of Egypt’s resources, and BHGE’s investment and expertise across oilfield services and equipment will help us drive further efficiencies along the way.”

Discovered by Eni in August 2015, Zohr located in the Shorouk Concession is considered to be one of the largest gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea till date. The offshore Egyptian gas field has been estimated to have total potential of 850 billion cubic meters of gas.

Production from the Zohr gas field is expected to begin this year end, while peak production is anticipated to be achieved in 2019.

Image: Eni’s operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: courtesy of Cipiota/Wikipedia.