Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations (Adco) has still not set a deadline for commercial proposals on the Qusahwira oil field expansion more than five months after receiving technical bids.

The date for commercial bids is usually set after the initial technical tenders are submitted but contractors are still waiting for the deadline, according to sources familiar with the project.

The contract is estimated to be valued at between $500m and $700m.

According to sources familiar with the project, companies submitting technical proposals include:

• Al-Asab Contracting Establishment (UAE)
• China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (China)
• Dodsal (UAE)
• Intecsa Industrial (Spain)
• Tecnimont (Italy)

Qusahwira field development phase two is part of Adco’s programme to increase the capacity of its onshore South East Asset (SEA) fields, which also includes projects at the Sahil and Mender fields.

The Qusahwira field expansion will add 25,000 barrels a day (b/d) of new capacity at the field located 260 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi city.

Canada’s SNC Lavalin carried out the front-end engineering and design (feed) study for the project at its operations in Abu Dhabi, Mumbai and Toronto.