The development project is intended to boost output at Mabruk to at least 40,000 barrels a day (b/d), from about 18,000 b/d. The contract's scope of works includes the construction of a gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) with two process trains - one for the west, east and central Mabruk fields and the other for production from Dahra and Garian.

J&P will also be required to build three oil storage tanks, an export pump station and facilities for oily water treatment, oil metering and power generation. The project also calls for the drilling of new oil producing, water producing and water injection wells.

Total signed a production sharing agreement for the field with National Oil Corporation (NOC)in May 1993 and farmed out a 25 per cent stake to Norway's Saga Petroleum, a subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, the following year. The field, discovered in 1959, has estimated reserves of 1,300 million barrels (MEED 19:12:03; 4:7:03).