Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) has extended the bid deadline for a construction deal to upgrade onshore oil facilities for the Hout field until 8 February from the original 28 December deadline.

A source close to the project says the deadline was extended after requests from several contractors for more time to prepare bids.

“There were several companies that asked for more time so we have now been told to put bids in on 8 February,” says the source.

The contract covers the upgrade of existing onshore crude production facilities as part of KJO’s plan to boost overall oil production from the Divided Zone to 900,000 barrels a day (b/d) by 2030 from an estimated 550,000 b/d currently.

KJO is a 50:50 joint venture of Aramco Gulf Operations, a division of state-run Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, a subsidiary of state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).