Recently, Chinese company COSCO Shipping and Special Transportation received a contract from Saudi Aramco to expand its Marion offshore facilities, further consolidating Beijing's economic role in the region. The company provides ship transportation services and is one of the largest companies in the world, providing two semi submersible vessels for transportation and installation services for the development of Marian facilities.

This contract is related to the "support package one" of the $12 billion Marian crude oil incremental program, aimed at increasing the facility's oil production by 300000 barrels per day and increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) production by 360000 barrels per day. This will result in an estimated oil production of 800000 barrels per day.

The contract awarded to COSCO will support the construction of the new Marjan GOSP-4 platform, which can handle 470000 barrels of oil, 813000 barrels of liquefied natural gas and 750 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Although recent economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China has mainly focused on oil trade, the expansion of the Marian facility represents Saudi Arabia's affirmation of maintaining its position as a leading global energy supplier, with China being one of the largest recipients of Saudi oil.

The expansion plan of the oilfield has several plans to ensure the future energy production of the oilfield. Previously, China cooperated with Sinopec, an oil and gas company, to assist in two pipeline projects expanded in Marion in 2019.

Previously, Sinopec Petroleum engineering Construction Company signed a contract with Saudi Aramco for the Tanajib regional pipeline project (PKG-16) of Marjan oilfield production increase plan and the RAS TANURA regional pipeline project (PKG-17).Editor/Ma Xue