Valentine Maritime’s Saudi subsidiary is expected to carry out the 40-month engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, with work scheduled to start this year.

The company beat competition from five other bidders, including Jebel Ali-based J Ray McDermott, the UAE’s National Petroleum Construction Company, South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, Italy’s Saipem, and Global al-Rushaid, a subsidiary of the US’ Global Industries.

The contract involves laying up to 90 kilometres of offshore pipeline, as well as 70 kilometres of power and fibre optic cables and associated equipment. It is a significant win for Valentine.

Aramco is poised to award the three main EPC deals on Manifa to Italy’s Snamprogetti, Japan's JGC Corporation and Spain's TR in the next few weeks (MEED 6:6:08).

Snamprogetti has won the main $1.8bn package covering the construction of central processing facilities, including a gas-oil sep-aration plant.

JGC is poised to take the second package, worth $800m, covering the utilities, storage and shipping at the central processing facility.

TR has secured the smallest deal, worth $500m, covering power generation and the main substation.

In May, US-based Natco won a deal to provide equipment and technology for Manifa to front-end engineering and design contractor Foster Wheeler (MEED 22:5:08).