Four groups are competing for the contract. They are:

Hyundai Engineering & Constructionand LG Engineering & Construction, both of South Korea, with the UK's Foster Wheeler Energyand the local Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Company (Isoico);

Chiyoda Corporationof Japan, with Daelim Industrial Company of South Korea and local Industrial Development & local Renovation Organisation (IDRO)and Petropars;

Paris-based Technipwith Oil Industries & Engineering Company (OIEC)and Saff Offshore, both local; and

Ghorb Khatem, the engineering arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, with Iran Marine Industries (Sadra).

The project will produce 50 million cubic metres a day of treated gas for domestic use, 1 million tonnes a year (t/y) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for export, 80,000 barrels a day of condensates, also for export, and 1 million t/y of ethane for use in local petrochemical projects. Sulphur recovery on the phases will run to 800 tonnes a day for export, twice the level of previous South Pars projects.

Bidders for the project will also be invited by POGC to offer proposals for the next South Pars development - phases 17 and 18.