The US' Solar Turbines International Company and a French joint venture of Technipwith Alstomboth submitted technical and commercial bids by the mid-December deadline.

The estimated $40 million-50 million project calls for the installation of facilities to maintain production and increase supplies of natural gas to Jebel Ali.

The two-year project will be carried out in two stages. The first is for the installation of a new control system for the operation of the gas-processing plant. The second calls for the installation of a new inlet gas compressor and an additional slug catcher and process cooler, as well as modifications to the existing train.

The onshore Margham field produces at present about 20,000 barrels a day of condensate and about 230 million cubic feet a day of gas.

Australia's Worley carried out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for the project. Canada's Veco Engineeringis the project management consultant. The client is Margham Dubai Establishment, wholly owned by the government of Dubai (MEED 31:8:01).