Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco) has extended the deadline for technical bids on its new Ruwais sulphur handling terminal after requests from contractors for more time.

The state gas developer has asked prequalified firms to hand in their proposals on 1 August rather than the 27 July date it originally set. Contractors had asked for several more days to prepare their bids.

Gasco is yet to set a commercial bid deadline for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.

The contract covers the construction of a new a sulphur handling and export terminal at Ruwais, including loading and storage facilities. It will bring the port’s total sulphur capacity up to 20,000 tonnes a day.

Firms invited to bid for the deal include:

• Techint (Italy) and Al-Jaber Group (local)
• Dodsal (India) and  Punj Lloyd (India)
• Saipem (Italy)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based)
• Petrofac (UK)

The project is part of a series of oil and gas developments that will bring total sulphur production in the emirate up to about 7 million tonnes a year (t/y) by 2015 from 1.7 million t/y in 2008.

Gasco is also tendering an EPC contract covering new sulphur handling facilities at Habshan. They will be used to form and granulate sulphur produced through existing facilities and Adnoc’s new integrated gas development from 2014, which will add 700 million cubic feet a day of gas containing 4.5-7.2 per cent of sulphur. EPC contracts for the $10bn scheme were awarded in 2009.

Gasco has set 17 August and 28 September as technical and commercial deadlines for the deal.