Kuwait’s Central Tenders Committee (CTC) has extended the deadline for the estimated $70-100m contract to build high pressure crude oil pipelines in northern Kuwait by 14 days to 23 March.

Bids for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) deal were due to be submitted by 9 March, but Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) decided to push back the deadline for undisclosed reasons. The project has been subject to a series of delays since it was first tendered in May 2009.

Firms prequalified to bid for the deal include:

• Al-Dar Trading & Construction (Kuwait)
• Al-Khadda International General Trading (Kuwait)
• Al-Meer Technical Services (Kuwait)
• Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait)
• Arabi Enertech (Kuwait)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based)
• Gulf Spic General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait)
• Kharafi National (Kuwait)
• Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Company (Kuwait)
• Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi & Sons (Kuwait)
• Mushrif Trading & Contracting Company (Kuwait)

The winning firm will build a series of high pressure 30-inch crude oil pipelines for the company at its facilities in the Jurassic field in the north of the country.

The project is expected to be completed in the middle of 2012.