The contract for Halliburton, which in 2007 relocated its headquarters to Dubai, is for offshore work. The US’ Schlumberger has previously clinched the larger onshore portion of the field (MEED 7:3:08).

The three-year contract calls for the provision of directional drilling, logging and perforating, coiled tubing and stimulation services involving the use of ten jack-up rigs.

The estimated $11bn Manifa programme, the largest offshore oil field development ever undertaken by Aramco, will be completed by 2011 and aims to deliver 900,000 b/d of Arabian Heavy crude.

Other service companies are in the process of submitting bids for pipeline and gas processing packages for the field.

Halliburton previously won the oil field services component of the Khurais oil field in 2006, with the project using up to 23 rigs to support the drilling and completion of more than 300 wells.