Invited firms include Foster Wheeler, Fluor Corporation, Jacobs Engineeringand Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), all US-based, Australia's WorleyParsons and Paris-based Technip.

Genesis Oil & Gas Consultants, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Technip, has completed the conceptual study and masterplan. It included an assessment of the surface production facilities and recommendations for an expansion, taking into account rising water cut and gas lift requirements.

Estimated to cost $1,400 million, the two-year project is aimed at increasing production capacity from the three onshore oil fields by a total of 60,000 barrels a day (b/d) by 2007/08, through major modifications to surface handling facilities.

The next stage in the project implementation will be the issue of a tender for the front-end engineering and design (FEED).