Safaniya Oil Field, oilfield in Saudi Arabia
Safaniya Oil Field lies about 200 kilometers north of Dhahran in the Persian Gulf and is the largest offshore oil field in the world. The field stretches roughly 65 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, featuring large platforms on the water connected to the mainland by underwater cables.
The field was discovered in 1951 and began oil production in 1957 from its first 18 wells. By the early 1960s, capacity had grown to over 350,000 barrels daily, demonstrating the rapid expansion of offshore oil extraction during that era.
The name Safaniya is believed to mean 'place where navigators meet,' reflecting its history as a passage for ancient traders. Today the site functions as a workplace where engineers and technicians manage operations and monitor the equipment that keeps resources flowing.
The site is an active industrial workplace with no public access and is operated by Saudi Aramco. Visitors can only view the platforms from a distance by water or boat, as the area is restricted for safety and operational reasons.
The largest platform TP-20 was installed in 2012 and receives over 150 megawatts of power through an underwater cable from the mainland. These innovations enabled the field to extract more oil from existing wells even during its mature production phase.
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