The bidders are: Paris-based Technip-Coflexip, with the local National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC); Chiyoda Corporation of Japan; France's Bouygues Offshore,now part ofItaly's Saipem; and Snamprogetti of Italy.

Revised prices were invited after bids submitted in late-December were significantly above budget. In the original round of bidding, the Technip/NPCC team submitted a low offer of about AED 2,250 million ($613 million - MEED 3:1:03).

The 40-42-month contract will cover the supply and installation of two crude oil processing trains, in-field pipeline works, the installation of a pipeline to transport crude to Habshan and related facilities.

The NEAD project involves increasing oil production from the onshore Rumaitha and Al-Dabbiyah fields to a sustainable capacity of 150,000 barrels a day (b/d) and a maximum level of 180,000 b/d. The two fields currently produce 15,000-20,000 b/d.

The front-end engineering and design (FEED) package for the scheme has been carried out by Technip-Coflexip. The project manager is the US-based VECO.