Saudi Aramco, the state-controlled oil and gas producer, plans to award two offshore oil field maintenance contracts with a combined estimated value of about $1bn, according to sources aware of the matter.

Aramco, the world’s biggest oil exporter, last week sent a formal request to contractors in its Long-Term Agreement (LTA) programme, asking them to submit interest for maintenance contracts for the Marjan and Berri oil fields, the sources said adding that the scope of work includes installation of 18 jackets in the two oil fields.

The bids are expected to be submitted by mid-to-late November, although Aramco is expected to extend the submission deadline, they added.

In June 2015, Aramco had signed LTA deals with four international engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, which gave four companies exclusive rights to bid for several oil and gas producing platforms, tie-in platforms, pipelines, power cables and related facilities under the masterplan for its offshore fields.

The four companies are:

• Dynamic Industries (US)
• Larsen & Toubro (India) / Emas (Singapore)
• McDermott (US)
• Saipem (Italy)

However, it is not clear if UAE-based National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), which became the fifth LTA contractor on 13 October, has also been invited to bid for the deals. The request for submissions of interest was issued before NPCC’s formal LTA award announcement from Aramco.

Aramco is also assessing bids for a deal to expand operations at the Safaniya offshore oil and gas field, sources told MEED on 5 October. The EPC proposals by LTA contractors were submitted in late July.

In addition, the company is assessing proposals on two contracts to supply and install 10 slip-over jackets, nine slip-over decks with pipelines and cables at the Safaniya field and seven SSS platform decks with pipelines and cables associated with the Marjan and Zuluf fields