McDermott became favourite to clinch the deal earlier this year after the only other contender for the offshore deal, Italy's Technip, pulled out of the race (MEED 26:2:08).

The company says the scope includes a natural gas offshore production system with three wellhead platforms, two 28-inch intrafield and two 32-inch export pipelines to two onshore gas processing trains located at Ras Laffan. McDermott expects 10 initial producing wells will be drilled at each platform.

The offshore system, designed for a 30-year service life, is expected to produce 1.7 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas with the export pipelines designed to transport 2.55 billion cf/d to allow for future production hikes.

McDermott says first-phase production at Barzan of 1.5 billion cf/d of gas is scheduled for 2012 with eventual output expected to reach 3 billion cf/d.

Earlier this year Japan's Chiyoda Corporation won the 12-month FEED contract covering the onshore gas processing plant at Ras Laffan (MEED 12:5:08).

The Barzan project aims to meet the natural gas requirements of the growing local market for electricity and water in Qatar. It is part of the gas development scheme for the North field, the world's largest non-associated gas field.

Owned by Qatar Petroleum and the US' ExxonMobil Corporation, and executed by Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company (RasGas), the project is expected to be run in three separate phases.

The first phase will deliver 1.7 billion cf/d of gas by 2012, the second 2 billion cf/d and the third up to 2.5 billion cf/d (MEED 12:2:08).