General Electric has signed a new agreement to provide turbomachinery and technical training to Saudi Aramco as part of a long-term cooperative framework.

The machinery will be used to enable the company, which oversees Saudi Arabia's vast oil fields, to improve extraction and production over the long term.

John Krenicki, vice-chairman of GE and president and chief executive of GE Energy, said the new contract elevates the company's relationship to "an exciting new level".

"Moving beyond project-by-project oil and gas sector transactions will enable GE to support the optimized performance of Saudi Aramco's installed turbomachinery fleet," he said.

The company will also be on hand to provide service excellence, skills development and training, he added.

Saudi Arabia has the world's largest proven and probable oil reserves. International oil companies working in the country are required to subscribe its Saudization programme, which aims to boost local employment in the sector through training and development.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development