Kent, a global leader in integrated energy services, has been awarded the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the Upgrade Services for the Khafji Desalter and Water Treatment Plant & Related Facilities (UDWT) Project by Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO).
KJO is jointly owned and operated by Aramco Gulf Operations (AGOC) and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC).
The FEED scope covers the design of new desalter facilities alongside the upgrade and expansion of existing water treatment plants at Al-Khafji. The desalter design will sustain production of 300,000 barrels per day of sweet crude for the next 20 years, while managing an expected water cut of up to 60 per cent. The facility will incorporate advanced separation and desalting technologies, designed to process up to 315,000 barrels per day and reduce flaring to minimise environmental impact.
The project, scheduled to begin in Q4 2025 with a duration of 15 months, will be delivered primarily from Kent’s UK Woking offices by a team of around 150 engineers and specialists. They will be working in close collaboration with colleagues from Kent KSA, whose role will focus on local knowledge, site surveys, and management of in-country third-party work. This balanced approach ensures that global expertise is combined with local insight, strengthening delivery for KJO.
In parallel, the water treatment scope addresses the upgrade of WTF-2 and the expansion of WTF-3, increasing combined treatment capacity to more than 500,000 barrels per day. This includes modernising equipment, improving reliability, and enhancing injection and receiving systems to handle greater volumes and varied conditions while ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
