The five-year deal, signed at the end of August, is one of the largest project management consultancy contracts ever awarded in Abu Dhabi.

It covers the multi-billion-dollar Upper Zakum crude increment programme planned by Zadco, which will increase the emirate's offshore crude production capacity from 500,000 barrels a day (b/d) to 750,000 b/d.

Known as the Zadco facilities programme management consultancy for major projects, the contract covers eight integrated projects. The separate elements include: offshore produced water facilities, the expansion of the Upper Zakum gas treatment plant, a main oil line, the east and west area development programmes, and downstream facilities.

Front-end engineering and design (Feed) has been completed for some of the elements. Engineering is due to finish soon for the first phase of the facilities, which will increase capacity to 600,000 b/d.

Engineering for phase two, which will increase capacity to 750,000 b/d, will be completed by the end of 2009 (MEED 18:5:07).

The first-phase capacity increase is due to be commissioned by the end of 2011, with the second phase to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2013.

Amec was provisionally selected for the work earlier in 2008, beating competition from Canada’s Veco and Australia’s WorleyParsons (MEED 11:4:08).

Upper Zakum is not the only offshore field being developed in the emirate. Zadco, in which the US’ ExxonMobil Corporation took a 28 per cent stake two years ago, is also developing a crude increment programme for its Satah field.