A formal contract award, valued at $700 million-750 million, is expected in the second half of October once financial close has been achieved on the $1,200 million debt package, for which mandated lead arrangers were appointed in June (MEED 10:6:05).

Two other contracting groups were competing for the downstream package, which calls for the construction of a 350,000-tonne-a-year (t/y) high-density polyethylene unit and an alpha olefins plant of similar capacity. Technology for the two units will be provided by Q-Chem II's foreign shareholder, the US' ChevronPhillips Chemical Company. The majority shareholder in Q-Chem II is Qatar Petroleum (QP). The Q-Chem II complex will be provided with ethylene feedstock from the 1.3 million-t/y Ras Laffan ethane cracker, which will also supply the 450,000-t/y linear low-density polyethylene plant planned by the local/French Qatofin at Mesaieed. The award of the Qatofin EPC plant package is expected in November after three contractors submitted commercial bids in September (MEED 30:9:05).