The deadline was extended for the second time at the request of the prequalified international contractors to enable them to more time to prepare their offers for the estimated $500m-plus engineering, procurement and construction contract.

The scope of works on the project covers the construction of at least three main oil pipelines to the 615,000-barrel-a-day Al-Zour refinery, each one carrying a different type of crude as well as fuel-oil.

Associated pipelines will also be built to provide fuel feedstock for the planned Al-Zour north power plant (MEED 15:6:08).

A total of 20 contractors are prequalified to bid as a main contractor for the lump-sum engineering, procurement and construction contract.

They include:

• Chiyoda Corporation and JGC Corporation, both of Japan,

• Bechtel and KBR, both of the US,

• Paris-based Technip,

• Italy's Snamprogetti,

• UAE-based Petrofac International

• Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, Daelim Industrial Company, and SK Engineering & Construction, all of South Korea.

In addition, 14 companies have been prequalified as a consortium partner. The list includes Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC), the UK's Penspen, Turkey's Tekfen and the US' Wilbros.