The project has been divided up into three separate EPC packages. The first involves adding 20 million cubic metres a day of new gas treatment capacity at Saih Nihayda with the option to install a gas-gathering network for 10 million cubic metres a day.

The prequalifiers are Daelim Engineers & Construction Company; Japan's JGC Corporation; US-based Petrofac International, with the local Galfar Engineering & Contracting; Italy's Snamprogetti; France's Technip, with India's Dodsal; and Canada's SNC Lavalin, with the local Al-Hassan Engineering.

The second package entails installing wellhead compression facilities at Yibal. The prequalifiers are the local Bahwan Engineering; Italy's Saipem, with Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC)and Snamprogetti; Daelim; JGC; Petrofac/Galfar; and SNC/Al-Hassan.

The final package, covering the pipelines, centres on the installation of a 48-inch-diameter pipeline running from the field to Sur and the construction of a gas booster station. The prequalifiers are Daelim; Dodsal; Petrofac/Galfar; SNC/Al-Hassan; Saipem/CCC/Snamprogetti; GPS; and TOCO.

Bid documents will only be released for the three packages once Oman LNG has secured offtake agreements for the output of the third train. 'We do not expect anything to be issued until the second half of 2002,' says a representative for one of the prequalifiers.