International engineering firms are preparing to submit proposals for a front-end engineering & design (feed) study on the development of Abu Dhabi’s Dalma offshore oil and gas field.

The project aims to build the first platforms and pipelines at the Dalma field, which is located in the west of Abu Dhabi’s offshore territory between Dalma Island and the maritime border with Qatar.

Five companies are thought to be prequalified to bid for the feed contract on a deadline of 22 August, which was pushed back from a date earlier in the month. Those companies are:

• Amec Foster Wheeler (UK)
• Fluor (US)
• KBR (US)
• Technip-Genesis (France)
• WorleyParsons (Australia)

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) plans to build oil lines, but the priority will be to install the gas line first. According to sources, the planned capacity for the development is 350 million cf/d.

Genesis Oil & Gas, a consultancy that is a subsidiary of Technip, was commissioned to carry out the concept study for the scheme.

The feed contract is expected to be awarded later in 2016, after state-owned Adnoc receives and assesses the bids.