Dubai’s Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) is shortlisting companies for two more packages on its Jebel Ali refinery expansion after awarding the largest package to French engineering group Technip.

Enoc said that Technip had been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) deal for the new processing unit, confirming a report by MEED in August.

The Jebel Ali refinery expansion comprises three packages and will expand the capacity of the operation to 210,000 barrels a day (b/d) from the existing 140,000 b/d.

The other two packages cover the construction of storage tanks and a 31,000 square foot warehouse.

“Suitable contractors are currently being short listed prior to the tendering process for both packages,” Enoc said.

The expansion is expected to start commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2019. New processing units will include a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)/naphtha hydrotreater, an isomerisation unit, a kerosene hydrotreater, and a diesel hydrotreater.

Enoc said the new units would ensure the refinery is producing enough gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to meet rising domestic fuel demand as well as for export purposes.

The front-end engineering and design (feed) study on the project was carried out by US-based KBR, while the licensor technology has been provided by the US’ Honeywell UOP, French group Axens and Italy’s KT.

The Jebel Ali refinery was first commissioned in 1999, starting with two condensate distillation units with a name plate capacity of 60,000 b/d each, four MEROX units, and storage capacity of 1,283 thousand cubic metres.

Enoc invested $850m in 2010 to commission additional units for the production of low sulphur naphtha, and reformate. In 2012 Enoc completed a debottlenecking project increasing capacity to 140,000 b/d.