Saudi Aramco is advancing plans to build the Kingdom’s first LNG terminal capable of handling both imports and exports, industry publication MEED reported on September 1. Aramco has not yet finalized a site, with locations on the Gulf coast and the Red Sea coast both under consideration, and has appointed KBR and Kent as concept design and pre-feasibility consultants ahead of moving into the pre-FEED (Pre-Front-End Engineering Design) stage, it is reported.
The project is said to be part of Aramco’s efforts to diversify its domestic gas supply chain and secure capacity for processing and exporting surplus gas. The terminal is being planned as a dual-purpose facility supporting both LNG imports and exports, with a site under review on either the Gulf coast in the east or the Red Sea coast in the west of Saudi Arabia. KBR and Kent are reportedly conducting initial concept design work covering site conditions, processing capacity and design criteria, with the results expected to feed into the subsequent pre-FEED phase.
Specific processing capacity and investment figures have not been disclosed. The project remains at the concept design stage, with site selection and consultant appointments having just been completed.
As Saudi Arabia ramps up domestic natural gas production, the need to build out infrastructure for processing and exporting surplus gas has grown. The LNG terminal initiative is said to be part of Aramco’s broader move to diversify its gas portfolio.
As Middle Eastern national energy companies expand investment in LNG import-export infrastructure, new contract opportunities are emerging for global engineering and construction firms to participate from the concept design stage onward. This suggests competition across the consulting and EPC supply chain for LNG value-chain projects could intensify going forward.
Key points to watch include when a final site is confirmed, when pre-FEED work begins, and when specific design criteria such as processing capacity will be disclosed.