The US-based KBR has won the front-end engineering and design (feed) contract for the upgrade of the Jebel Ali refinery in Dubai.

The deal was awarded by state-owned Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc), which operates the condensate refinery at Dubai’s largest port.

The refinery currently has two trains of condensate and Enoc plans to add two new processing units – jet and diesel hydrotreaters and an isomerisation unit – that will lead to the production of Euro V grade products such as high-octane gasoline, low-sulphur jet fuel and ultra-low sulphur diesel.

The refinery is being upgraded to meet rising domestic fuel demand.

Enoc is planning to float the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project later in 2014 and has started the prequalification process for the tender, according to sources.

Established in 1999, the refinery processes condensate to produce refined products such as naphtha, jet fuel, reformate, diesel oil, fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for local and export markets.