The six bidders are Paris-based Technip, the French office of FosterWheeler, Engineers India (EIL)and three US firms, Stone & Webster, FluorDanieland Bechtel. The successful firm's responsibilities will include conducting front-end engineering and designs (FEED) and preparing tender documents in preparation for the main project work.

The 90,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) Algiers refinery upgrade includes rehabilitation of the atmospheric distillation and gas plant units and construction of a new naphtha hydrotreating unit. It also calls for the modernisation of the refinery's control systems.

The Skikda scheme involves the rehabilitation of two atmospheric distillation and gas plant units and the modernisation of control systems. Skikda is the country's largest refinery, with capacity of 360,000 b/d.

Naftec says it plans to launch the Algiers tender in the second quarter of next year and the Skikda project three months later.

Five international firms submitted technical bids in April for the rehabilitation and modernisation of instrumentation systems at the 22-year-old Arzew refinery. The estimated $45 million contract calls for the installation of a direct control system and an advanced process control system at the 50,000-b/d plant. An award is expected in October (MEED 23:4:04).