Abu Dhabi’s Zakum Development Company (Zadco) has set a new deadline of 4 March for commercial bids for the first set of production facilities at the offshore Upper Zakum oil field.

The latest set of technical clarifications and resolutions for the engineering, procurement and construction package (EPC-1) were submitted at the end of January, sources close to the project tell MEED.

Zadco has issued bidding contractors numerous technical bulletins and appendices over the past eight months following receipt of technical proposals in May 2011.

At least four firms submitted initial technical proposals for the offshore production facilities, including Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea, UAE-based McDermott, Italy’s Saipem and France’s Technip with the local National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC).

“Once the bids go in on 4 March, the procedure should be pretty rapid. The commercial parameters are almost done so the price assessment shouldn’t be a long drawn out affair,” says the source.

Contractors are also bidding for a second set of production facilities (EPC-2) at the Upper Zakum field. Technical proposals are expected before the end of March.

Zadco is a joint venture of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), US oil major ExxonMobil and Japan Oil Development Company.