Offshore reservoir management remains the cornerstone of long-term hydrocarbon sustainability across the Middle East.
Tecnimont, the plant engineering subsidiary of Milan-listed Maire, alongside regional builder Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), has entered into a major construction contract with Saudi oil giant Aramco for the strategic Safaniyah Water Injection Project.
Announced following formal approval from the Saudi state energy company, the agreement establishes CCC as the primary subcontractor delivering the on-the-ground build-out. Tecnimont serves as the head contractor entrusted with the overall package, deepening the operational alliance between two engineering giants on vital upstream infrastructure within Saudi Arabia.
Water injection infrastructure represents an indispensable element of contemporary reservoir stewardship, particularly for mature offshore assets. Injecting treated water directly into targeted formations sustains subterranean pressure, ensuring long-term flow assurance and arresting natural decline rates.
At the heart of this operational programme is the world-renowned Safaniyah development:
Field Stature: Safaniyah ranks as the world's largest offshore oil field, having sustained continuous commercial operations since the 1950s.
Production Role: The field serves as the foundation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Arabian Heavy crude output, making its operational integrity essential to national export strategies.
Infrastructure Scope: The water injection project provides the critical supporting facilities required to maintain primary reservoir pressure across the asset's producing horizons.
Upstream Strategy: The development forms an integral component of Aramco’s overarching upstream development programme dedicated to long-term extraction efficiency.
Maintaining plateau production from an asset that has been online for over seven decades demands sophisticated surface and subsea solutions. By replenishing reservoir energy via water injection, Aramco preserves extraction rates without compromising geological stability, keeping Arabian Heavy supplies steady for global refining markets.
The formal contract execution took place in Al Khobar, signed by Daniele Quintarelli, Regional Vice President at Tecnimont, and Hisham Kawash, Regional Managing Director at CCC. This step signals immediate progression toward site-level deployment and construction mobilisation along the Kingdom’s eastern coast.
Under the agreed terms, CCC assumes full responsibility for comprehensive project execution and construction activities. The contractor will deploy its regional capabilities, technical proficiency, and specialised know-how cultivated across decades of complex oil and gas builds in the Kingdom.
Tecnimont, headquartered in Italy, brings extensive global pedigree as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) specialist in highly intricate industrial and hydrocarbon facilities. By joining forces, the two contractors create an integrated framework capable of meeting Aramco’s rigorous technical and delivery specifications.
Beyond addressing immediate operational requirements at Safaniyah, the transaction represents a critical consolidation of industrial ties across the Gulf Cooperation Council. For CCC, the contract award deepens a productive working relationship with Tecnimont that has spanned numerous high-profile hydrocarbon ventures throughout the Gulf region.
A spokesman for CCC confirmed that this latest award solidifies the contractor’s standing as an indispensable execution partner for major oil and gas undertakings across Saudi Arabia. The arrangement reflects a proven model in regional project delivery, pairing international technology and project management leadership with proven regional construction capacity.
As the Kingdom’s energy sector balances disciplined operational expenditure with long-term capacity requirements, investments in upstream field maintenance remain paramount. The Safaniyah Water Injection Project underscores how targeted engineering packages continue to underpin global energy resilience, ensuring that Saudi Arabia’s foundational fields remain reliable contributors to international energy balances for decades to come.
Arabian Drilling has landed a new four-year contract with Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) for the provision of four high-specification offshore jack-up drilling rigs to support the client’s offshore drilling operations.
The contract is estimated to be worth approximately SAR 2bn, or around US$534mn.
KJO operates across both onshore and offshore areas of the Partitioned Zone, which is located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
It is a joint venture formed between a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, Aramco Gulf Operations Company, and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company.
“This four-year contract represents the largest single offshore drilling contract awarded by KJO to the company for the provision of four high-specification offshore jack-up drilling rigs to support KJO's offshore drilling operations,” a statement released by Arabian Drilling noted.
It added that the award increases the company’s total backlog to approximately SAR 18bn (US$4.8bn) and expands its offshore fleet operating under contracts with KJO — representing a 200% increase in its drilling rig fleet serving KJO.
KJO’s activities in the Partitioned Zone, previously known as the Neutral Zone, have provided a steady stream of work for industry contractors in recent times.
Flagship projects in the area include the Dorra gas field development, the Khafji oilfield expansion and the Hout gas field.
At a time of geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruption, operations that enable customers to source goods and services locally can play a key role in helping them reduce operational disruption and accelerate time-to-market.
Emerson is doing just that with plans to build a new automation solutions and operations centre in the Umm Alhoul Free Zone in Qatar, to include a flow calibration lab, along with other critical automation technologies designed to help customers optimise operations, reduce turnaround time, minimise costs and accelerate project timelines.
An agreement to establish the centre was signed on the sidelines of Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) in New York City in the presence of Qatar Free Zone dignitaries.
Emerson already has a strong existing footprint of manufacturing, service and distribution locations in the Middle East across Saudi Arabia and UAE, along with an extensive network of service partners in the region. The 3,500 sq metre Emerson Middle East & Africa Service Center will expand Emerson’s local capabilities for customers in Qatar and across the Middle East and Africa, reinforcing the company’s expanding automation and industrial technology presence in the region, contributing to in-country value creation and aligning with Qatar Vision 2030 objectives around economic growth, diversification and industrialisation. This will see Qatar transformed from a hydrocarbons-based economy to an advanced, diversified and competitive global knowledge-based market, with the expansion of industrial sectors and leveraging advanced supply chains. It also aims to create a business-friendly environment capable of attracting foreign funds and technologies and of encouraging national investments.
The new facility is significant in that it will host the region’s first certified in-country flow calibration lab, with the capability of calibrating large-size flow meters for high-pressure and high-volume operations. These are extensively used in Qatar’s heavy industrial sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, power and water to measure and monitor fluid, gas and steam transfer.
The Qatar facility will also feature:
The contol systems staging and measurement solutions services, spares inventory and training centre will open in Decemebr 2026, with the certified flow calibration lab following in early 2027.
“This new investment reflects Emerson’s strategic commitment to accelerating innovation in Qatar and supporting the Middle East’s most critical operations,” said Judson Duncan, group president of Global Sales at Emerson. “Our additional capabilities will enable customers to operate with greater agility, reliability and cost efficiency.”
SLB has been awarded four integrated well construction contracts by Aramco to support oil and gas development across Saudi Arabia.
The global energy services group will manage end-to-end well construction services, delivering more than 450 wells over a three-year term, with an optional extension of up to two years.
"Delivering hundreds of wells across a multi-year programme and in multiple operating environments requires an integrated model that connects planning, execution and digital workflows to set new industry performance benchmarks,” said Steve Gassen, Executive Vice President of Geographies for SLB.
“Awarding SLB these advanced well construction programmes at scale reflects Aramco’s confidence in our integrated model and capabilities."
SLB said in a statement that its integrated well construction model brings together every aspect of well delivery through a technology-enabled operating model.
It combines digital drilling workflows with automated drilling, evaluation, fluids, cementing and completions products and services to improve efficiency, consistency, and well performance across diverse, large-scale drilling programmes, it noted.
The latest contract also marks a significant expansion of SLB's integrated well construction business in Saudi Arabia, building on decades of collaboration with Aramco.
While carrying a history of severe geopolitical instability, Libya's resilience in still being able to attract global investment interests speaks volumes about the richness of its reserves
Known to hold Africa's largest proven oil resources, Libya moves North African supply dynamics. International oil companies are increasingly returning to reactivate dormant fields and tap into high-potential basins. Central to this resurgence is the Sirte Basin, a historically prolific region offering significant infrastructure proximity.
Recently, the country has reported several successful appraisals, marking a critical turning point for international investment, signaling restored commercial confidence and renewed momentum in Libya’s long-term energy output goals.
OMV has classified the Essar well in Libya’s Sirte Basin as commercially viable following technical and economic evaluations. Previously, the Libya NOC too approved the discovery's commercial viability.
The well lies in the concession area C 103, where OMV holds 12% interest.
With an indication of total recoverable resources reaching up to 45 million barrels of oil, the reservoir is being prepared for development by Zueitina Oil Company. It will be easier to hit production timelines from thew concession sooner as it lies adjacent to existing production and processing facilities, ensuring cost-efficiency as well. The discovery highlights Libya’s potential as one of Africa’s most important energy regions and marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between OMV and the NOC.
“The Essar discovery is a major milestone for OMV and our partners at the NOC. It confirms not only Libya’s considerable potential, but also the value of long-term partnerships, technical excellence, and our unwavering commitment on the ground. Strategic collaborations such as this are essential to providing the energy the world needs. I am proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to the next chapter in Libya”, said Berislav Gaso, OMV executive vice president for energy.
OMV holds Libya strategically important as part of its upstream growth interests in North Africa. The company has been an active player in Libya for around 50 years and is among the country’s long-standing international energy partners. It resumed operations in the country in 2024, after a hiatus of more than ten years.
OMV has extensive experience in the exploration and production of oil and gas in North Africa and relies on close cooperation with local partners as well as the continuous optimization of existing assets. Libya holds Africa’s largest proven oil reserves and ranks among the world’s most significant oil-producing countries.
TAG Oil has updated its drilling plans in Egypt’s Western Desert after releasing its financial results for the six-month period ending 30 June, 2026.
The Canadian-listed company announced the start of the drilling of the T-200 well on 6 August, with hopes to complete work on schedule by 30 September.
This 4,250 metre vertical well is targeting the Abu Roash ‘F’ (ARF) formation, a naturally fractured reservoir at the location at the Badr oil field (BED-1).
After drilling and completion operations are completed by the end of September, the company said it expects to release well test results soon after.
In its results statement, during the three months ending June 30, 2026, TAG Oil reported that both BED-1 wells produced an average of 66 barrels of oil per day (bpd).
TAG is planning to use its expertise in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques and apply horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture stimulation to unlock the ARF reservoir potential in Egypt.
Crude oil sales delivered from BED-1 for the same period was 53 bpd, it added.The company, which has no debt, reported C$10.4 million in cash and cash equivalent and C$10.3 million in working capital, as of 30 June, 2026.
TAG Oil also reported “extended delays” in including additional exploration blocks into the Southeast Ras Qattara (SERQ) concession, which it added were beyond its control.
This has, in turn, delayed its commitment to resubmit a previously agreed proposal following enactment of a new law amending the concession terms.
In the meantime, the company announced that it is pursuing other open acreage opportunities in the Western Desert that are prospective for the unconventional ARF formation, with further progress updates to follow.
As well as developing the unconventional heavy oil ARF formation at BED-1 in the Western Desert, the company also hopes to explore the much larger SERQ concession.
According to TAG Oil, an independent reserves evaluation indicates the ARF target in BED-1 may contain more than 500 million barrels of oil in place and has a high probability for successful commercial development.
An independent volumetric assessment of SERQ indicates 3.2 billion barrels of oil in place.
Gulf Marine Services, a provider of self-propelled, self-elevating support vessels, has announced a contract extension for one of its Small-class vessels operating in the GCC region
The extension, awarded by a major national oil company in the Middle East under an existing agreement, has added 183 days onto the current contract period, with two further three-month extension options also on the table.
The current backlog stands at US$659mn.
The extension will see the vessel continue to support the client’s offshore maintenance operations, and reflects the continued strength of demand for GMS’ vessels in the region.
Mansour Al Alami, GMS Executive Chairman, said, “We are delighted to have secured this extension, which reflects the confidence our clients continue to place in GMS to deliver safe and reliable support for their offshore operations. This extension further strengthens fleet utilisation, which remains central to delivery of our objectives.”
Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon Offshore (LTEH Offshore) has secured an ultra-mega order from a prestigious client in the Middle East for the development of multiple offshore facilities.
The scope of the projects includes engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPICIC) of offshore facilities. A significant portion of the activities will be carried out by L&T’s integrated manufacturing and fabrication facilities.
The award reinforces LTEH Offshore’s long-standing presence in the Middle East and reflects the confidence placed by customers in the company’s ability to deliver complex offshore projects safely, on schedule, and to a high standard.
T Madhava Das, Whole-time Director, Senior Executive Vice President & Head – Energy Hydrocarbon Division of L&T, said, “The order represents one of the most significant offshore developments currently underway in the Middle East and underscores the growing investments being made to meet future energy demand. The scale and complexity of the project call for deep engineering expertise, integrated project execution capabilities and flawless coordination across multiple workstreams. We are proud to contribute to the development of critical energy infrastructure that will support the region's long-term growth ambitions".
Parthasarathi Chatterjee, Senior Vice President & Head – L&T Energy Hydrocarbon Offshore, commented, “With multiple offshore facilities, subsea infrastructure and substantial fabrication requirements, this project exemplifies the scale and complexity of offshore developments that LTEH Offshore is uniquely positioned to deliver. Our integrated EPCIC approach, supported by world-class engineering, fabrication and marine capabilities, enables us to execute such projects with certainty, efficiency and a strong focus on safety and quality.”
Over the last four decades, LTEH Offshore has delivered some of the region’s most challenging offshore developments, executing a wide range of offshore projects including fixed platforms, subsea pipelines and structures, brownfield upgrades and modifications, deepwater subsea structures and pipelines, and decommissioning programmes across global markets.
ADNOC has deployed its AI-enabled Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) across its fleet of more than 120 onshore and offshore drilling rigs, enabled by SLB’s DrillOps intelligent well delivery and insights solutions.
The installation continuously collects live drilling data to generate a unified, real-time environment that drives coordination within ADNOC teams, identifying risks ahead of time for prompt decision-making.
The RTOC is completely reliable in securing critical operational data and workflows as it is an in-country set up, built and developed in the United Arab Emirates and hosted within ADNOC’s sovereign cloud environment. With maximum confidentiality secured, the platform gives business, asset and drilling teams greater visibility across the fleet, advancing operational efficiency and long-term digital independence for ADNOC.
“DrillOps transforms real-time drilling data into operational intelligence that helps teams make faster, more informed decisions,” said Rakesh Jaggi, President-Digital, SLB. “Deployed within ADNOC’s sovereign cloud environment, the technology provides the scalable digital foundation for AI-enabled workflows across one of the industry’s largest rig fleets and supports the continued progression toward more autonomous operations.”
ADNOC has reported around 30-40% reduction in engineering efforts ever since the deployment. Engineers can now support two to three times more rigs while maintaining effective oversight. Day-long analyses are now a matter of few minutes, and reporting cycles that once took several days can be completed within hours. This revolution is driven by RTOC's combination of operational data, automated dashboards, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights that converts humungous quantities of drilling data into clear, actionable information. Thus empowered, engineers can wholeheartedly invest their energy on execution while maintaining visibility across a large and complex rig fleet. ADNOC said the platform can also identify potential operational issues before they escalate, reduce incident response times by 4 to 12 hours and help avoid one to two days of rig downtime.
The deployment advances ADNOC’s broader effort to apply AI at scale across its operations while demonstrating how SLB digital technology can help operators move from fragmented data and manual analysis toward more connected and intelligent drilling operations. By embedding AI-enabled insights directly into operational workflows, the platform supports improved performance, reduced operational risk and greater efficiency across upstream operations.
Halliburton has been awarded a contract by Basra Oil Company (BOC) for the development of the Bin Umar and Sindbad oil and gas fields in southern Iraq.
The contract scope includes field development planning, production optimisation, digital solutions and engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the two fields.
“We are honoured by the trust Basra Oil Company has placed in Halliburton to support the development of the Bin Umar and Sindbad fields,” said Zaid Khadra, Vice President, Middle East North Africa, Halliburton.
“We will work alongside BOC as a technical and project management provider to integrate workflows, digital solutions, and execution expertise to maximise asset value.”
Halliburton said in a statement that it will deploy its Landmark portfolio to build a digital foundation that connects subsurface insights, well delivery, production operations and business planning.
The company digitally integrates planning and execution to improve visibility, increase efficiency and support faster, higher-quality decisions.
The Bin Umar and Sindbad development programme is designed to increase oil production and expand the capture and use of associated gas for domestic supply.BOC estimates oil production could reach approximately 150,000 barrels per day and 300 million standard cubic feet of associated gas from Bin Umar field during the first five-year development phase.
The project supports Iraq’s efforts to strengthen energy security and reduce reliance on gas imports.
The Halliburton award also supports the Iraqi governments strategy to strengthen BOC with technical capabilities, project execution expertise and an integrated delivery model to advance development of Iraq’s national energy assets.
BOC will retain ownership, operatorship and decision-making authority over the assets, while Halliburton will execute the project in coordination with BOC.
Halliburton also plans to work with local resources to support Ministry of Oil initiatives on workforce development and national value creation.
“We look forward to collaboration with BOC to advance Iraq’s production, infrastructure and associated gas development objectives,” added Khadra.
Weatherford has been awarded two five-year contracts for well related services in Kuwait, it disclosed in its recent Q2 results announcement.
The work covers the provision of annular casing packers for high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) Triassic-Palaeozoic wells and ESP feed-through packers.
“Kuwait Oil Company awarded two five-year contracts for the supply of Annular Casing Packer for Triassic-Paleozoic High-Pressure High-Temperature Wells and the supply of Electronic Submersible Pumps feed-through packers for multiple wells,” the Q2 statement noted.
It also listed a further contract in Oman for the provision of substantial drilling operations.
“Petroleum Development Oman awarded Weatherford a three-year contract to provide Integrated Drilling Services covering 247 wells in the Marmul field, supporting both production and injection operations, following the successful completion of the 837-well contract awarded in 2022.”
Other regional highlights from the quarter included new technology use in Saudi Arabia.
“In Saudi Arabia, Weatherford completed the first qualification deployment of ArrayPro with Aramco, validating a fully integrated production logging solution for horizontal wells,” the company’s statement noted.
“The ruggedised system delivered high quality real time data and reliable performance in demanding environments, supporting improved reservoir insight and production optimisation.”
In the UAE, it was also recognised as ‘Best Liner Hanger Supplier and Services Provider’ by an undisclosed national oil company.
“The Liner Hanger Systems team completed over 100 liner deployments across more than 22,000 operational hours in the previous year, demonstrating consistent delivery that reduces operational variability and supports efficient well construction and schedule reliability.”
While overall group revenues for the period were down slightly, the company remains bullish about forward prospects.
“Despite the significant disruption in the Middle East due to the Iran conflict, our second-quarter results, especially adjusted free cash flow, were strong, demonstrating the reliability and resilience of our operating paradigm,” said Girish Saligram, Weatherford’s President and CEO.
In its Q2 statement, it added that while the Middle East situation remains volatile and creates activity headwinds in the short term, the company’s longer-term thesis remains intact.
“A return to the pre-conflict operating levels is expected to be gradual, contingent on continued regional stability, and requires an absence of further geopolitical escalation,”it noted.“Our second half 2026 outlook is appropriately adjusted to reflect these dynamics and while our total year outlook has slightly reduced, the second half represents a significant ramp up in margin contribution versus the first half.”
Oceaneering International has announced that its Integrity Management and Digital Solutions (IMDS) segment has been awarded a five-year inspection and asset integrity services contract by a Qatar-based oil company.
The contract followed a competitive tender process and reinforces Oceaneering’s role in providing integrity management services in Qatar after operating in the country for more than 20 years.
Under the contract, Oceaneering will deliver non-destructive testing, inspection services and value engineering, utilising its established local workforce and leveraging Inform, its digital inspection software. The scope may also include deploying Vision, a data visualisation platform.
Leo Granato, Senior Vice President of IMDS, said, “This award underscores our ability to deliver reliable, digitally enabled integrity solutions that enhance production reliability and asset uptime while supporting regulatory compliance. Our established team in Qatar enables safe and consistent execution of our innovative solutions, while deepening the development of local talent.”
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