US firm snaps up FEED job on LNG expansion project tackling energy trilemma

U.S.-headquartered science, technology, and engineering player KBR has secured a front-end engineering design (FEED) deal to boost a liquified natural gas (LNG) arsenal at a project on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East. The company believes this LNG expansion project in the Sultanate of Oman aims to come to grips with the challenges imposed by the ongoing global energy trilemma.

Thanks to the FEED contract, KBR will handle the expansion of the Qalhat LNG complex in Oman, which is envisioned to be accomplished with the Sur LNG Train 4 project. The U.S. player sees this project as “a significant step” in Oman’s efforts to meet rising global energy demands while prioritizing sustainable and efficient operations.

Commenting on the deal, Jay Ibrahim, KBR President of Sustainable Technology Solutions, remarked: “LNG will play an increasingly vital role in the global energy mix, and we are honored to continue our collaboration with Oman on this critical project. By addressing the energy trilemma of security, sustainability and affordability, this project is expected to significantly contribute to Oman’s energy security and sustainability goals.”

The firm’s scope of work under the FEED assignment entails the provision of engineering services for the complex’s fourth LNG train, which will have a capacity of 3.8 million tons per annum (mtpa). This project will cover the addition or expansion of utilities, an LNG tank, a jetty, and associated infrastructure.

With a capacity of 34 million cubic meters per day, the LNG project is located on a 1.4 square kilometer site at Qalhat, near Sur, some 200 km southeast of Muscat. The feed gas is sourced from the Central Oman Gas Field Complex, operated by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) on behalf of the government of Oman.

This is not KBR’s first assignment with Oman LNG as the firm also won a front-end engineering design contract for the debottlenecking of the Sur facility in 2019. Oman LNG, which was established in 1994 to handle the production and sale of LNG and its by-product natural gas liquids (NGL), operates three liquefaction trains at its site in Qalhat near Sur with a nameplate capacity of 10.4 million tons per annum.

The company’s current buyer list includes Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) for 4.1 mtpa from April 2000 to December 2024, Osaka Gas of Japan for 0.7 mtpa from April 2000 to December 2024, Itochu Corporation for 0.7 mtpa from March 2006 to December 2024, BP Singapore for 1.1 mtpa from January 2018 to December 2025, and OQ for approximately 250,000 mtpa of NGL product from January 2019 to December 2024.

“With this expansion of Oman’s natural gas liquefaction capacity, KBR continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy supply to meet the world’s growing demands,” highlighted the U.S. player.

KBR has landed several assignments recently, including an engineering and procurement services job for upgrades related to a gas development project, which is expected to increase Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG production.

Before this, the firm, as part of the KTJV joint venture with Technip Energies, got a deal to repurpose an LNG import and regasification terminal on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast into what is anticipated to turn into one of the largest LNG export facilities in the United States.