UAE-based contractor National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) is in final negotiations with Saudi Aramco for three offshore contracts, according to industry sources.

The packages are known as Bid 29, Bid 30, and Bid 31.

The scope of Bid 29 includes eight slipover platforms with associated pipelines that are due to be installed at Saudi Arabia’s Safaniya oil field, the largest offshore oil field in the world.

Bid 30 consists of five new SSS platforms to be located in the Safaniya and Berri fields.

Bid 31 consists of four slipover platforms due to be located in Safaniya.

“Final negotiations are ongoing and it looks very likely that NPCC will be awarded these contracts,” said one source.

The latest negotiations come in the wake of several recent contract wins for NPCC in Saudi Arabia.

The UAE-based company signed an estimated $100m contract with Saudi Aramco to install nine jackets at Zuluf field.

NPCC was also awarded a contract to install ten oil and gas jackets across the Marjan, Safaniya and Abu Safah fields.

“NPCC is winning a lot of offshore contracts in Saudi at the moment,” said one source.

“It’s not obvious why they are winning so much, but it may be because Aramco believes that there are capacity issues at the other qualified contractors.”

Companies from Aramco’s long-term agreement (LTA) group of five offshore engineering contractors were qualified to bid for Bid 29, Bid 30 and Bid 31.

The LTA-approved contractors are:

• Saipem (Italy)
• Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering (India)/Subsea 7 (from the UK, which acquired the Saudi Arabia unit of Singapore’s EMAS Chiyoda)
• Dynamic Industries (Saudi Arabia)
• McDermott International (US)
• National Petroleum Construction Company (UAE)