Mega Delivery for Abu Dhabi

GE’s Turbomachinery Solutions teams in Italy have amazed us all yet again. The first two modules for the Upper Zakum UZ750 project have started their journey to the installation site.

We’ve been investing in modular design and construction capabilities since 1985, and we’ve since then delivered modules and pre-assembled units of various sizes to customers around the world. This unique experience has increased the efficiency and reliability of our turnkey solutions, whether it's for small projects or those of immense scale like this one for ZADCO.

The Upper Zakum UZ750 field in Abu Dhabi has been developed by ZADCO (Zakum Development Company), with three major shareholders: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ExxonMobil and Japan Oil Development Company limited (JODCO).

There are six plug-and-play structures in all, each weighing over 1,500 tons, and measuring 44 m long and 24 m high. The mega modules will combine to form the Turbogenerator train we designed to power ZADCO's oil production facilities on an artificial island located 50 miles offshore of Abu Dhabi.

Module 1 left the Avenza yard at 01:00 AM on August 20, and Module 2 followed the week after. The ship carrying both modules sailed from Marina di Carrara at 5:00 PM on August 29, set to travel through the Suez Canal with an estimated 40 days of navigation to get to the final destination. The other four modules will follow by year-end.

With an estimated 50 billion barrels of oil reserves, Upper Zakum is the second largest offshore oilfield and fourth largest oilfield in the world. When we signed the contract in , the field was producing 640,000 barrels per day (bpd). When the UZ750 project is complete in 2017, production capacity will be ~750,000 bpd.

As we go about our daily routines, dealing with technological details and delivery dates, it is easy to simply move along to the next calendar item without truly appreciating what the last project’s completion actually means. In this case, it’s helping get 100,000 more bpd out of an important resource for 25 more years to come. Now, that’s what we mean when we talk about fueling the future!

I’m extremely pleased with and proud of the work our people have done for ZADCO — and excited that the modules will soon be installed and in operation. Congratulations and sincere thanks go out to everyone involved in this spectacular achievement!