The NEB subcontract, due to be completed in March 2006, covers construction work for all the onshore pipelines and clusters and the civil works for the Rumaitha and Al-Dabbiya plants. It was placed by main contractor - Paris-based Technipwith the local National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC)- which was awarded in late April the $566 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. The NEB project will produce 150,000-180,000 barrels a day of oil (MEED 9:5:03).

The AKG-1 subcontract, due to take 24 months, has been placed by downstream main contractor, the Japanese/Italian/local venture of Chiyoda Corporation, Mitsui & Company, Snamprogettiand the Almana Group. AKG-1 will produce about 750 million cubic feet a day of gas for customers in Ras Laffan Industrial City (MEED 4:4:03).