At the Red Sea (south of theRas Isa peninsula), theonshore pipeline connects toa 5-mile, 24-inch offshore

pipeline. This line supplies apermanently moored 400,00DWT converted tanker hav-ing a fixed turret-type, singlepoint mooring (SPM) andcustody transfer metering sys-tem. There are also provisionsfor a future SPM loadingbuoy. The storage capacity ofthe tanker is three millionbarrels of crude oil. Crude istransferred to another tankervia side-by-side or tandemoff-loading operations. This is the largest tankerconversion to date. Gulf per-formed or directed all aspects

Export production iscarried through 261 miles of26-and 24-inch pipeline overmountains with up to 80-degree slopes to the coastalexport terminal facilities. At itshigh-est point, the pipeline is8,500 feet above sea level.Three pump stations (oneadjacent to the CPU and twobooster stations) provide thepressure needed to pump thecrude. One station (PSI) hasthree dual fuel engine drivenpumps and two other stations(PS2 and PS3) have two

pumps each. The pumps arehorizontal centrifugal typerated at 4,000 HP each. Down stream from thehighest elevation of thepipeline are two pressurereducing stations; one inter-mediate station along theslope and the other at the RedSea terminal site.

GATHERING ANDPRODUCTION SYSTEMS

The central production unit(CPU) in the Alif Field (MaribBasin) includes a topping unitto provide diesel fuel. Crude istransported via pipeline to anoffshore storage and off-loading marine terminal in theRed Sea. Gas and water arereinjected on-site. The CPUdesign includes four trains,each with a capacity to handle100,000 BPD of crude, 15,000BPD of water and 300 MMSCFDof gas. A separate productionmanifold with 40 well connec-tions supplies each CPUproduction train. Each manifoldhas seven headers: threeconnected to parallel separa-tion trains, two connected tohigh-pressure gas separators,one connected to a test sepa-rator and one connected to ablowdown header. The initialinstallation includes twocomplete CPU modules.

bilized, blended with the pro-duced oil and exported via thepipeline.

GULF INTERSTATE ENGINEERING CASE HISTORY

Pipeline Export Facilities -Republic of Yemen

G ulf Interstate Engineering (Gulf) had complete engi- neering, procurement and constructionresponsibility for Yemen’s first crude oil gathering and exportsystem. Designed to initially handle 200,000 BPD with thecapability of expanding to 400,000 BPD, this networkremains the largest export facility in the country. Between 1986 and 1988, Gulf project teams providedservices ranging from conceptual design and detailed engi-neering to procurement and construction management. Theproject included all facilities necessary to gather crude oil andgas from 80 production wells and to operate 10 gas injectionwells. When construction was completed, Gulf provided test-ing, commissioning and start-up procedures, operator train-ing, and operating and maintenance manuals to its client, theYemen Exploration and Production Company (YEPCO), ajoint venture of Hunt Oil and Exxon subsidiaries. The export pipeline traversed 261 miles of rugged, remoteterrain. Although logistical support presented problems, theproject was completed just 24 months after the start ofdetailed engineering - two months ahead of schedule.

The gas liquids (C5+)recovery plant adjacent to theCPU has a 400 MMSCFDcapacity and is expandable tohandle 600 MMSCFD. Itwas prefabricated on skids tofacilitate shipment and tosimplify on-site installation.The recovered liquids are sta-

STORAGE SYSTEMS

PIPELINE SYSTEMS

YEMEN

SAUDI ARABIA

Red Sea

Gulf of Aden

of re-design, procurement,inspections and logisticsinvolved with converting thetanker in a South Koreanshipyard for storage and off-loading service.

Gulf Interstate Engineering

Gulf Plaza

16010 Barkers Point Lane

Houston, Texas 77079-9000

U.S.A.

Phone: 713-850-3400

Facsimile: 713-850-3579

Email: info@gie.com

Website: www.gie.com

© Copyright 2002, Gulf Interstate Engineering. All rights reserved.

GIE is certified to ISO 9001

ISO 9001

Also within Gulf’s scope ofsupply was an automatedSCADA system providingcentralized monitoring, con-trol and data logging for theentire pipeline system and ter-minal. A multichannel micro-wave system for the SCADAsystem is complemented byVHF radio which providesvoice communication betweenall principal facilities. Beyondthe produc- tion, control centerand export facilities, Gulf man-aged the construction of a 39MW power plant, mainte-nance shops, living quartersand all related infrastructure.

COMMUNICATIONSYSTEMS ANDINFRASTRUCTURE

temperatures fell below freez-ing and daytime temperaturestopped 104 degrees Fahren-heit, humidity remained higherthan 95 percent and dailyafternoon sandstorms furthercomplicated operations. Gulf is proud to have playeda key role in the successfulcompletion of this, the first oildiscovery and still the largestdiscovery and constructionendeavor in Yemen. Thisproject engaged over 3000employees, moved heavyequipment with pieces up to100 metric tons over steepslopes up to 80 degrees at anaverage rate of one kilometer aday. Despite these difficulties,all construction was com-pleted two months ahead ofschedule and 14 months fromthe beginning of mobilization.

ADDITIONALINFORMATION

This fast-paced projectwas the first constructionunder-taking of notable size inthis developing country. Atthe time, Yemen had no petro-leum exploration or produc-tion history. Local resourcesfor consumables, skilled man-power, machinery and spareparts were extremely limited.All construction material wastransported from Hodeida onthe Red Sea to sites up to 261miles away. In most areas,roads were narrow, serpentinepaths or did not exist. Wadi(dry stream beds) served asboth road and pipeline routefor part of the distance. Atthe height of the rainy season,32 inches of rain fell in twoweeks and constructioncamps could not be reacheddue to swelling rivers in thewadi. In addition, nighttime