The contract covers a terminal with export capacity of 2 million barrels a day (b/d) and storage capacity of 3.2 million b/d. Construction is due to begin by the end of October and be completed in December 2005. Partners in the Peremba-led consortium are the US' Intec Engineering and the local Sudan Piles for Road & Bridges.

The Melut basin project will harness an estimated 3,700 million barrels of reserves, and the contracts already awarded cover a 300,000-b/d central processing facility, field production facilities and a 1,400-kilometre crude export pipeline.

The client is Petrodar Operating Company, a consortium of China National Petroleum Corporationwith 41 per cent cent, Malaysia's PetronasCarigali Overseaswith 40 per cent, the local Sudapetwith 8 per cent, Doha-based Gulf Petroleum Companywith 6 per cent, Doha-based Gulf Petroleum Companywith 6 per cent, and Dubai-based Thani Corporationwith 5 per cent.