Qatar Petroleum (QP) has awarded the UK’s Kentz the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (epic) of supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) and cathodic protection systems for its onshore Dukhan oil field. 

The award was made after a long evaluation process and Kentz is expected to start work on the scheme immediately.

“It has taken QP some time to make a decision, but Kentz has won this one,” says a Qatar-based oil and gas source. “It shows the commitment QP now has to oil projects in the country.”  

The scope of works will involve installing the systems on about 600 wells spread across the Dukhan field. The estimated budget is $250m. The systems will be used to monitor real-time production in order to try and maintain output.

The Dukhan oil field has a capacity of 335,000 barrels a day (b/d), but actual production depends on reservoir management. The field is mature and has been in production since 1949. It is located 80 kilometres west of Doha. 

Qatar has several other energy schemes that are being developed in order to maintain or increase production.

MEED reported in November that the US’ Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) is planning to release the majority of tenders for its phase 5 expansion at the Idd el-Shargi North Dome field in Qatar in early 2014.