Jebel Ali-based J Ray McDermott (Middle East) announced on 4 November the award of its second engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract on the development, covering two 30-inch-diameter pipelines with a total length of 126 kilometres to connect two wellhead platforms in the North field to the onshore facilities at Ras Laffan.

Work on the contract is due to start by late 2006. McDermott was awarded the platforms

package in August (MEED 18:8:06).

US-based Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) has also been formally awarded the tank package on Pearl. The estimated $400 million EPC contract covers 38 storage tanks with total capacity of 900,000 cubic metres, 120 kilometres of piping and associated works. Contract completion is due in late 2009 (MEED 13:10:06).

The third contract, for the temporary power supply for the site and camp, has been awarded to a consortium of Germany's Siemens and Lebanon's Butec Engineering. The contract involves cabling and substation work.

The Pearl gas-to-liquids development comprises two 70,000-barrel-a-day trains, with the first due to be completed by the end of the decade.