The 15-month umbilicals package covers two umbilicals, which will connect Dolphin's two offshore platforms in the North field to its gas processing plant at Ras Laffan, a distance of 90 kilometres and 74 kilometres (MEED 19:3:04).

On the Taweelah gas receiving terminal contract, four international contractors have submitted technical bids and are preparing to submit commercial offers on 11 September. The bidders are Dubai-based Dodsal, Sharjah-based Petrofac International, Paris-based Technipand the US' Willbros Group. A contract award is expected in October.

The contract's scope of works covers the construction of a gas receiving terminal with ultimate capacity of 3,200 million cubic feet a day (cf/d). In addition to the terminal, the successful bidder will build a 48-inch-diameter pipeline to tie into the existing Maqta-Jebel Ali pipeline and a connection to supply the adjacent Taweelah power and desalination complex.

The client has awarded EPC contracts totalling more than $2,200 million on the project this year. The Dolphin project calls for up to 3,200 million cf/d of North field gas to be delivered into the UAE starting in late 2006.

The shareholders in Dolphin Energy are Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development Company, with 51 per cent, France's Total, with 24.5 per cent, and the US' Occidental Petroleum, also with 24.5 per cent.