Four groups submitted commercial prices by the late-December deadline for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. Technip/NPCC's offer of about AED 2,250 million ($613 million) is some 3 per cent lower than the next price of about AED 2,316 million ($631 million) submitted by Japan's Chiyoda Corporation.

The 40-42-month contract covers the supply and installation of two oil processing trains, in-field pipeline works, the installation of a pipeline to transport crude to Habshan and related works.

The project is aimed at increasing oil production from the onshore Rumaitha and Al-Dabbiyah fields to a sustainable capacity of 150,000 barrels a day (b/d) and a maximum level of 180,000 b/d. The project management consultant is the US-based VECO. The client is Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (Adco).