Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) has extended the deadlines for bids to build its carbon black project by a month.

The delay comes as the refiner is struggling with obtaining the requisite technology licences for the plant, according to sources close to the project, who have predicted that Takreer is facing several months of delays.

The new deadline for the technical bids for the tender is 6 November, commercial bids for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract will be due on 5 January 2012.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) subsidiary needs to obtain a total of eight licences from technology providers. At least one of the licences is outstanding with an agreement still a long way off, said a source at a prequalified contractor in September. “The project will be delayed for a few months,” said another source at the time.

Licences have to be granted both for the technology involved in the plant and for the processes developed by providers and engineering firms. Technology providers include US-based Honeywell’s UOP subsidiary and US-based Foster Wheeler, the latter selected to deliver a delayed coker unit.

A total of 14 EPC companies have been prequalified to submit bids:

• Bechtel (US)
• CTCI (Taiwan)
• GS Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)
• JGC (Japan)
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan)
• Saipem (Italy) with Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Techint (Italy)
• Technip (France)
• Tecnimont (Italy)

The US’ Bechtel is undertaking the front-end engineering and design (feed) work, which will be completed in the third week of October, according to a source. The carbon black plant is scheduled to come online at the end of 2013.