Shah Gas Development

Client: Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company, Ltd. (Al Hosn Gas)

Location: Shah, United Arab Emirates

Map showing the location of Shah Gas Development

Executive Summary

The Shah Gas Development project was developed to gather and process very sour gas. The plant design included some of the world's largest amine treating and sulfur recovery units.

Fluor led conceptual development and front-end design and was program management consultant for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).

Client's Challenge

The Client Al Hosn Gas is a joint venture of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation. The Shah Gas Development (SGD) Project is in Shah, about 200 kilometers southwest of Abu Dhabi city.

The infrastructure project is important to the Abu Dhabi energy sector and its “Economic Vision 2030.” SGD facilities were designed to process about 1 billion standard cubic feet per day (SCFD) of well fluid containing 23 percent hydrogen sulfide and 10 percent carbon dioxide.

From this feed gas stream, the plant provides approximately 500 million SCFD of clean natural gas for the Abu Dhabi market while supplying 4,400 tons per day of natural gas liquids, 33,000 barrels per day of condensate and 9,200 tons per day of elemental sulfur for industrial and agricultural uses. A new benchmark for world gas processing and treating, as well as the magnitude of processed gas and produced sulfur, has been set.

To manage risks associated with the project, Al Hosn required an early focus on all aspects of health, safety, and the environment to be sustained during the development, assessment and implementation of plant design, construction execution strategy and the operability assurance program.

Fluor's Solution

The award of front-end engineering and design (FEED) to Fluor was based on our outstanding development of the initial concept. During FEED, we worked closely with Al Hosn Gas to address challenges in the following categories:

HSE – hazards associated with the high-pressure, very sour feed stream and large size equipment
Logistics – remoteness and topography of the site, as well as the scale of the facility
Process Design – unique feed gas composition, tight product specifications, stringent emissions limits, high reliability and efficiency targets and hostile desert environment

During a two-year period, we aided Al Hosn Gas in moving the project from initial concept through feasibility study; project economic analysis; FEED; and the health, safety and environmental impact assessment.

In addition to overseeing the complete development program, we were selected as licensor for sulfur recovery and gas treating technologies. Selection was based on advantages related to safety, reliability, flexibility, proven experience, capital costs and energy efficiency.

Fluor continued to have a substantial role in seeing the project through to completion, acting as program management consultant for the main EPC packages.