International contractors have submitted bids on the largest package of Abu Dhabi’s Umm al-Lulu offshore oil field development, according to industry sources.

Project operator Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco) received the commercial proposals for the project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work on 28 January.

The bidders included South Korean groups Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Engineering, Italy-based Saipem and a consortium of UAE-based National Petroeleum Construction Company (NPCC) and France’s Technip.

Technical proposals for the estimated $2.1bn contract were submitted in July 2012, with the commercial bid deadline delayed several times since.

The scope of Umm al-Lulu package two includes the construction of gas-processing and oil-separation platforms, as well as utilities and accommodation.

Commercial proposals for the smaller first package of the Umm al-Lulu field development, which covers wellhead towers, pipelines and associated facilities, were submitted in November.

The project forms part of Adma-Opco’s plan to add 300,000 barrels a day (b/d) of production capacity from several new offshore fields, including Umm al-Lulu, Nasr and Satah al-Razboot (Sarb).

Offshore developments are playing a key role in Abu Dhabi’s efforts to increase its crude production capacity to 3.5 million (b/d) from today’s estimated 2.6 million b/d.

Adma-Opco is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), with minority stakes held by the UK’s BP, France’s Total and Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco).