Aramco awards Italy’s Saipem new $500m offshore contract

Saipem owns five fabrication yards, along with a fleet of 17 construction vessels and 12 drilling rigs, and is present in more than 50 countries.
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Updated 24 February 2026
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Aramco awards Italy’s Saipem new $500m offshore contract

RIYADH: Italian oilfield services company Saipem has been awarded a $500 million offshore contract in Saudi Arabia under its existing long-term agreement with oil firm Aramco.

The contract covers the full engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of a 48-inch trunkline, extending around 65 km offshore and 12 km onshore. The work also includes related subsea facilities at the Safaniya Oil Field, which is among the largest offshore oil fields in the world, according to a statement.

This latest award further cements Saipem’s long-standing presence in the Kingdom and deepens its partnership with Aramco, as well supporting Saudi Arabia’s goal of increasing localization in the oil and gas sector from 40 percent to 75 percent by 2030.

The newly released statement said: “Offshore operations will be carried out by Saipem’s construction vessels currently deployed in the region, while fabrication activities will be executed at Saipem’s Saudi fabrication yard, Saipem Taqa Al-Rushaid Fabricators Co. Ltd., in Dammam, further helping to strengthen the company’s industrial footprint in the Kingdom.”

It added: “Project execution is expected to leverage Saipem’s proven experience in delivering strategic pipelines and offshore infrastructure in the region, combined with its advanced engineering capabilities.”

The statement further indicated that under the new contract, activities will be carried out in line with the highest safety, quality, and environmental standards that define Saipem’s operations, ensuring efficiency and reliability at every stage.

By combining strengthened local capabilities with advanced technical expertise, the project is set to support the effective development of key energy infrastructure in the Kingdom.

Saipem, which is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, operates as a “one company” organized into several business lines, including asset-based services, drilling, energy carriers, offshore wind, and sustainable infrastructures.

The firm owns five fabrication yards, along with a fleet of 17 construction vessels and 12 drilling rigs, and is present in more than 50 countries.


QatarEnergy announces force majeure following Iran attacks: statement

Updated 04 March 2026
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QatarEnergy announces force majeure following Iran attacks: statement

DOHA: Qatar’s state-run energy firm on Wednesday declared force majeure following attacks on two of its main facilities that halted liquefied natural gas production and as Iran pressed missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

“Further to the announcement by QatarEnergy to stop production of liquefied natural gas and associated products, QatarEnergy has declared Force Majeure to its affected buyers,” the company said in a statement.

QatarEnergy invoked the clause, which shields it from penalties and potential breach of contract claims from clients, after stopping LNG production on Monday.

Iranian drones attacked two of the company’s main production hubs in Ras Laffan Industrial City, 80 km north of Doha and in Mesaieed 40 km south of the Qatari capital, Doha’s ministry of defense said at the time.

The Gulf state is one of the world’s top liquefied natural gas producers, alongside the US, Australia and Russia.

On Tuesday, QatarEnergy said it would halt some downstream production of some products including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminum and others.

Qatar shares the world’s largest natural gas reservoir with Iran.

QatarEnergy estimates the Gulf state’s portion of the reservoir, the North Field, holds about 10 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves.

In recent years, Qatar has inked a series of long-term LNG deals with France’s Total, Britain’s Shell, India’s Petronet, China’s Sinopec and Italy’s Eni, among others.