UAE-based contractor National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) is in final negotiations with Saudi Aramco for a contract to install nine jackets at Zuluf field, according to industry sources.

“NPCC is conducting final negotiations with Aramco,” says one source. “NPCC was not the lowest bidder, and the talks depend on NPCC agreeing to lower its bid so it is equal to the lowest bid.”

The value of the project is estimated at $100m.

The scope of the project includes:

• Installation of oil nine platforms
• Deck and topsides in a fixed offshore platform
• Tie-in platforms
• Trunklines
• Associated offshore gas facilities
• Associated facilities

Contractors submitted bids for the contract on 5 April.

Bidders were from Aramco’s long-term agreement (LTA) group of five offshore engineering contractors.

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)

In March, Saudi Aramco awarded Jacobs Engineering Group a contract to provide engineering and project management services for the Zuluf Field Development Programme's onshore central processing facilities (CPF) project.

It will provide facilities to process 600,000 barrels of oil per day of Arabian heavy crude oil from the Zuluf offshore field in the Gulf.