In a well-oiled operation, a new offshore complex in Tanajib — the Marine Offshore Floating Hub — is changing the way rigs are maintained under the shipshape management of Saudi Aramco, a company in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Tanajib Port, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Dammam, keeps Saudi Aramco’s offshore drilling operations supplied. In a skillful application of repurposing, an old oil tanker called Rawabi Integrity was refurbished and stashed with everyday necessities to keep rigs operational and its crews well stocked.
The Hub’s location means fewer round trips to shore for restocking. Consequently, congestion at the pier itself has experienced significant relief, lowering traffic snarls and concurrently cutting costs for the company.
Keeping everything synchronized behind the scenes is a team of planners and maritime experts, led by 36-year-old senior planner Abdulaziz Abuali, whose marine logistics department can meet diverse challenges head-on. Abuali complimented the extended operation as a way to develop strong team skills.
“It is really a great experience for the young Saudi talent,” Abuali said. “I have learned a lot here. For them, it is really a golden opportunity at their age to gain knowledge of all of these processes of offshore drilling and the processes of different logistics.”
Saudi Aramco’s Dhahran headquarters are located between the cities of Dammam and Al-Khobar on the Arabian Gulf coast.
“The company’s future is in our youth,” a company representative said. “Saudi Aramco seeks to ensure that they have the right tools and training to meet the challenges.”
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