Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has awarded the $727m Uthmaniyah ethanol feed recovery project to South Korean contractor Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Aramco had received engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bids from contractors toward the end of June. The deal was closely fought as initially UK’s Petrofac and Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas were among the front runners, however a source in August said that the situation was “fluid” as Aramco could select another contractor.

Hyundai E&C has beaten eight prequalified bidders including

• CTCI (Taiwan)
• Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• GS Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• JGC (Japan)
• Petrofac (UK)
• Saipem (Italy)
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea)
• Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)

Hyundai expects the contract to be completed by 26 November 2019, media reports have cited the company as saying in a statement.

The project involves the recovery of ethane, propane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from sales gas at the plant site in the east of the kingdom.

Aramco tendered the EPC contract in March this year. The plant will process associated gas produced from the Ghawar field – the largest-producing oil field in Saudi Arabia and the largest known field in the world based on reserves.

Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said in early March that the kingdom’s gas network now produces 12 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) and there are plans to increase this to 23 billion cf/d.

Aramco’s projects at the Fadhili, Midyan and Wasit fields are set to add more than 5 billion cf/d of non-associated gas processing capacity.