Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Company (Gasco) has extended to 29 March the deadline for the unpriced technical bids for the two contracts on the Habshan carbon recovery and reinjection and the nitrogen injection projects.

The previous closing date was 1 March.

The deadline for the commercial bids will also be moved to a later date from the current deadline of 12 April.

“The deadline for the commercial bids hasn’t changed so far, but they it will most likely also be moved back,” said a source in a company bidding for the projects.

The contracts are due to be awarded in the third quarter of 2011.

Companies prequalified for both projects are:

• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• CTCI Corporation (Taiwan)
• Dodsal (India)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) (local)
• Punj Lloyd (India)
• Saipem (Italy)
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (SKEC) (South Korea)
• Technip (France)
• Tecnimont (Italy)

The two contracts will increase the reserves of the Habshan oil field by injecting carbon dioxide recovered from the field and nitrogen into the reservoir, pushing the oil to the surface.

The two contracts involve the construction of a nitrogen injection system with a capacity to pump 670,000 cubic metres a hour of nitrogen gas into the Habshan field. The nitrogen will be produced by Elixier, a joint venture between Germany’s Linde and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc). Elixir will begin nitrogen production at its air separation facilities in Mirfa this year.

The carbon recovery contract is valued at about $260 million, and includes the construction of a recovery, a granulation and a power unit.

The other contract is valued at around $160 million and includes gas injection systems, emulsion pumps and pipelines of 100 kilometres and 60km.