Abu Dhabi has received technical bids for the first package of the Nasr offshore full-field development, according to sources close to the bidding process.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was tendered by project owner Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco) in September 2013, with companies submitting bids in December.

Adma-Opco is carrying out a full-field development of the Nasr field, which is located in the Gulf 30 kilometres to the northeast of the firm’s active Umm Shaif field.

Companies bidding on the $500m-plus first package, which covers pipelines and associated facilities, include the US-based McDermott, Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), the UK’s Petrofac, Italy’s Saipem and South Korea’s Samsung Engineering, according to sources.

For the larger second package, which covers platforms and wellheads, bids are expected to be submitted at the end of February.

Firms prequalified for the second package include South Korean groups Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Engineering, as well as Fluor, McDermott and Saipem.

“For package 1, they will probably make some additional decisions after the technical evaluation,” says an industry source. “Decisions on the contract awards for both packages are expected to be made at the same time in July.”

The Nasr full-field development, which is the second phase of the Nasr field’s expansion, includes two other packages covering early works and brownfield works respectively.

Nasr phase 1, involving the early production facilities, is currently under execution. The EPC contract was awarded to Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro in 2011.

The scheme forms part of Adma-Opco’s plan to add 400,000 barrels a day (b/d) of production capacity by 2020 from several offshore field developments such as Nasr, Satah al-Razboot (Sarb) and Umm al-Lulu.

Adma-Opco is majority-owned by the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), with minority stakes held by the UK’s BP, France’s Total and Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco).