The firm, which submitted its engineering, procurement, installation and construction bid in July, beat Egypt’s Petrojet, Italy’s Saipem, India's Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Dubai-based Dodsal for the award.

Punj Lloyd was in a strong position to win the contract as it is already working on the Ras Laffan-Mesaieed ethylene pipeline, which effectively means it is already mobilised along the route of the proposed new pipeline (MEED 29:8:08).

The project, known as the strategic gas pipeline, involves the installation of two 36-inch-diameter pipelines over a distance of 211 kilometres to transport 2 billion cubic feet a day of gas to industrial users.

The project will be completed by mid-2011.

The scheme is the second of three major gas pipeline projects in Qatar. L&T is in line for a smaller gas pipeline project after submitting the low bid earlier in 2008 (MEED 21:5:08).

The work involves the installation of 25km of carbon-steel pipeline and the construction of several booster stations within Ras Laffan Industrial City.

The consultant on both projects is the UK's Mott MacDonald.