Saudi Aramco has started the prequalification process for the engineering services contract, the Maintain Potential Programme (MPP).

The MPP covers the maintenance schedules for all of Aramco’s offshore facilities and has been executed by Australia’s WorleyParsons for the past nine years.

“Aramco is prequalifying engineering companies for the MPP now,” says an oil and gas source based in Saudi Arabia. “A tender was supposed to be released by the end of the year, but now it is likely to go by the end of January [2013].”

MEED reported in October that despite being a major engineering services contract, the MPP would not be tendered as part of Aramco’s general engineering services plus (GES-plus) programme and would be an open tender.

Engineering consultancies hoping to bid on MPP include:

• Fluor (US)
• Foster Wheeler (US)
• KBR (US)
• Mustang Engineering (US)
• WorleyParsons (Australia)

MPP is a large contract and WorleyParsons has 350 personnel working on it in the Eastern Province of the kingdom. The initial term of the deal is five years with the option of a two-year extension.

Since 2003, the work WorleyParsons has delivered includes 40 new platforms, 85 platform upgrades, 165km of pipelines, 100km of submarine power cables, five cranes and more than 300 well hook-ups.

Aramco also has a long-term agreement with the US’ McDermott and Italy’s Saipem, which covers engineering, procurement and construction work for its offshore operations.