Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: It may look like the world's longest cigar case, but this mega-machine, known affectionately as C-4001, represents a huge milestone in the manufacturing history of the Sultanate and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).
It is the largest process vessel ever created in the history of the 80-year-old company.
The 46-metre long vessel is four metres in diameter and weighs 240 tonnes, and was built by PDO contractor Special Technical Services at its Nizwa workshop, with the help of 22 Omanis.
It is the main component in the Acid Gas Removal Unit which is being built at the Company's Yibal Khuff (YK) mega project to remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide from produced hydrocarbon gas.
The vessel is internally clad with stainless steel and took 16 months to complete, using imported raw materials from Austria.
Designed by PDO and Petrofac Oman, it was part of an order of 21 large vessels awarded to STS by the YK project. The project is also employing Arabian Industries in Sohar to make a further 14 large vessels, and one of those is nearly of the same size as C-4001. The orders were placed after a competitive tendering process between Omani and international companies.
PDO's Yibal Khuff Facility Deliery Manager Abdullah Al Jabri said vessels of any size can now be fabricated and transported inside Oman with Sohar and Duqm ports now fully operational.
He added: "This is a great milestone for the project, as well as for the country, and proof there is no limit to what can be achieved by Omani workers if we set our minds to it."
C-4001 will soon be transported to the site where it will be installed, along with hundreds of other major pieces of equipment, which are due to arrive in the months ahead.
