July 28, 2020 • 2 min read
Helping Duqm Petroleum Company export products globally
How we supported a fast-developing region in Oman expand shipping operations through the Port of Duqm
Duqm is a new industrial hub in the Middle East. Positioned on the west coast of Oman close to key shipping lanes, it’s set to transform the industrial dynamics of the region.
With a petrochemicals industry being set up to export refined products to the world, Duqm’s prosperity depends on effective port infrastructure.
Customer challenge
Duqm Petroleum Company and Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm had a vision to export products from a nearby refinery development through the Port of Duqm.
This required guidance on the layout of the liquid berths in the port to accommodate Aframax and Suezmax-sized vessels, the latter of which can stretch up to three football fields in length. It also involved the design of tank facilities to support the export of Naphtha, Jet A1, Gasoil (GO), High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO), Pressurized Liquefied Petroleum Gas (PLPG), petroleum coke and sulphur.
The proposed design for the port then had to come to life on the coastline. This required the selection and overseeing of specialized contractors to meet tight constraints on time, quality and budget.
Our solution
We drew on our knowledge in materials handling from Vancouver, process engineering expertise from Teesside, and design work from both our Dubai office and Global Integrated Delivery team in Chennai to develop the master plan for the facilities.
The design comprised two double-sided island jetties to export refined products and a continuous quay wall to export dry bulk and function as a multi-purpose berth for various liquids products.
With flexibility factored into the design, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phase involved a dry construction solution for the jetties and quay wall. This required an area of the existing port to be dewatered before construction began. Infrastructure that would eventually be submerged was therefore completed at heights, with the new port basin flooded once construction work was complete.
Value delivered
The tight delivery of the berth to accommodate a range of vessels called on a detailed understanding of the vision of the customer and end user. This came from a close working relationship throughout engineering and construction led by our Oman office.
This was supported by supervision of the marine infrastructure design in the contractor’s offices in Europe to ensure technical requirements were met and approvals were processed quickly.
As a result, the project was delivered on time, on budget and to a high quality of construction, with the new port basin now successfully flooded with water.
