Bids are expected by the end of November for the other main packages. Companies prequalified for the gas/oil separation plant (GOSP) package are CCC, J&P - Overseas, Italy's Snamprogettiand Germany's MAN Ghh - Overseas. The contract will involve the construction of oil processing facilities with the capacity to handle 50,000 barrels a day (b/d) of oil.

France's Technip, CCC, J&P, Snamprogetti, and MAN have all prequalified for the export pipeline. The selected contractor will install a 75-kilometre-long, 24-inch-diameter pipeline from the GOSP to the export facilities of Spain's Repsol YPFon Block NC-115. The package also includes the installation of 11-inch diameter trunklines from the A and B well pads to the GOSP.

The prequalifiers for the electrical utilities package, which entails the installation of a 132-kV overhead cable, electrical transformers and an 11-kV well pad network, are France's Alstom, Interserve Industrial Servicesof the UK, Spain's Cobra, CCC, J&P - Overseas and the Swedish electrical division of ABB(MEED 1:6:01).

Lasmo - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Italian energy giant Eni- is the operator of Block NC-174, also known as the Elephant field. First oil from the field, which is located in the Murzuq basin, is expected by the end of 2002 at a rate of 50,000 b/d, rising to 150,000 b/d through a second phase of development.

Contractors say they expect to see the award of the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages before the end of the year. Teknica- a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Oil Corporation- is acting as the project management consultant.