Abu Dhabi has received technical bids from about 10 companies for the estimated $1bn phase three development of the Rumaitha and Shanayel onshore oil fields at its North East Bab asset, according to a source close to the bidding process.

Project owner Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (Adco) is expected to receive the commercial engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bids during November and award the contract by the end of the year.

According to sources, the contractors submitting technical bids included:

• Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Dodsal (UAE)
• GS Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Petrofac (UK)
• Saipem (Italy)
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Technip (France)

The EPC contract was tendered in the second quarter of 2013. The project’s front-end engineering and design (feed) was carried out by France’s Technip, with UK-based Mott MacDonald hired as the scheme’s project management consultant (PMC).

The fields formed part of Adco’s North East Bab asset, which is located just 31 kilometres from Abu Dhabi city and comprises three producing fields: Rumaitha, Shanayel and Al-Dabbiya.

North East Bab has the capacity to produce about 110,000 barrels a day b/d – about 8 per cent of Adco’s total production – and this capacity is due to be doubled after the third-phase expansion project’s completion.

The package for the expansion of the Al-Dabbiya field is expected to be tendered in 2014, with Adco currently in the process of awarding the feed contract for the package.

Whereas Rumaitha and Shanayel are located onshore south of Abu Dhabi city, Al-Dabbiya lies in a shallow coastal marine area, which is one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the emirate.