Technical bids have been submitted for the contract to develop the Ain Tsila gas condensate field in Algeria’s Illizi province, according to industry sources.

 The contract is estimated to be worth $2bn.

 The companies that are bidding for the deal are:

• A joint venture of Dubai-based Dodsal and Italy-based Maire Technimont
• A joint venture of Spain-based Técnicas Reunidas and Italy-based Bonatti
• UK-based Petrofac

 Italian energy company Enel has an 18.375 per cent stake in the asset, with Ireland-based Petroceltic holding 38.25 per cent and state-owned Sonatrach holding a 43.375 per cent stake.

 The three companies operate on the project through a joint venture called Groupement Isarene.

 According to industry sources, Groupement Isarene is currently going through a clarification process with the bidders. Once this is completed, they will be asked to submit commercial bids.

 According to the front-end engineering and design (feed) work carried out by the US’ Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI), the surface facilities will process up to 420 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of wet gas.

 The facilities will also transport the streams of dry gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate to existing tie-in points in the Algerian national pipeline grid.

 The Ain Tsila gas field is located in the Illizi basin, within the Isarene permit in Blocks 228 and 229a.

 Enel acquired its stake in the asset from Petroceltic in 2011. A gas sales agreement was signed with Sonatrach in 2014, and the design work was started in October 2014.

 The licence’s total acreage is 3,050 kilometres.