Officials at the event

National Oilwell Varco  (NOV) has opened its Fibre Glass Systems manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, which is seen as a major stride forward for Saudi Aramco’s In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) localisation programme.

With 24,000 sq m of manufacturing space, this facility will be the first local manufacturer of spoolable and jointed GRE pipe. It will also make GRE high-pressure line pipe and downhole tubing and casing.

The opening of the complex was attended by a high-level corporate delegation from Saudi Aramco, including president and chief executive officer Amin Nasser; Mohammed Y Al Qahtani, senior vice president of Upstream; and Ahmad A Al Sa’adi, senior vice president of technical services.

NOV’s new Saudi facility is bigger than its original plant in Houston, Texas, US, and is the first reinforced thermoplastic pipe (RTP) manufacturing hub in the kingdom.

Bringing composite solutions from NOV’s Fiberspar and Star product lines to the kingdom will allow the company to help its customers eliminate corrosion in their applications, reduce installation and maintenance costs over their pipe’s lifecycle, and more cost-effectively transport higher quality resources to the market, said NOV.

“Saudi leadership has consistently sought out improvements that will drive higher levels of efficiency, safety, and environmental stewardship. Expanding the use of composite materials represents the latest advancement in that journey. We’re excited for the future and proud of this landmark development,” the company said.