Client: AGIP KCO

Mott MacDonald Limited (MML) have been awarded the front end engineering design services for the Eskene West Rail Project in Kazakhstan by AGIP KCO.

These services cover the design of rail loading facilities for the export of stabilised crude and sulphur, and include the associated rail marshalling yard and interfaces within the onshore processing facilities currently under construction. We have awarded a number of subcontracts for design services requiring highly specialised expertise such as sulphur pastilisation units, sulphur re-melt systems, bagging systems, oil loading gantries and the associated vapour recovery system. The project is being managed by ONG from the Croydon office using Mumbai for technical support and drafting.

The system is being designed for an export capacity of 300,000 BOPD and 4,500 tonnes per day of pastillised sulphur. It has been established that 13 trains of 60 wagons will be needed every day to export the oil and a further two 60 wagon trains per day to export the sulphur. To achieve the required train turn around times, two double sided oil loading gantries with a total of 120 loading arms are required. The pastillised sulphur is to be exported in a mixture of 50kg and in bulk to meet particular customer requirements.

The Mott MacDonald scope of work includes the rail loading facility, marshalling yard, tie-ins to the main KTZ line and all associated signalling, telecoms and control systems. The railway elements of the project are being undertaken by the railways division in Croydon under an IDT agreement. Mott MacDonald and Agip demonstrated excellent team-work throughout the entire project, a fact exemplified by a joint go-karting event held between the two companies.

Mott MacDonald are currently in discussion with AGIP KCO on how we can support them during the detailed design, procurement and construction phases of the work.