Sohar Industrial Port Company has selected Dredging International, a subsidiary of Belgium’s Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering (Deme), for the earthworks, reclamation and storm water works contract for the first phase of the expansion of Oman’s Sohar Port.

According to a Deme spokesperson, the letter of intent was awarded in early October with award expected before end of the year.

It is understood at least two other firms, local Sarooj Construction and  Netherlands' Royal Boskalis Westminster, which was earlier presumed as the preferred bidder, submitted bids for the contract.

MEED understands the new scheme, called Sohar Port South development, will expand the port’s waterfront area on its southern boundaries and will increase the free zone’s 2,000-hectare land area by 10 per cent.

In October, Sohar Industrial Port Company invited firms to prequalify for the consultancy and front-end engineering and design (feed) contract for the project.

The scope of consultancy work includes preparing the feed and tender documents for dredging, reclamation, shore protection, jetties, storm water drainage solutions, and the demolition of the old jetty at Sohar Port.

It is understood the first phase of the reclaimed land will house a bunkering terminal, which Singapore-based Trescorp plans to start building next year.

The planned facility, which Trescorp said has a budget of $600m, will feature six deep-water berths with 25-metre drafts. One of the six berths will be equipped to receive very large crude carrier (VLCC) oil tankers with a capacity of up to 320,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT