International companies have been given until 18 August to express interest in a contract to supervise the construction of the 393-kilometre local portion of the Egypt-Jordan gas transmission pipeline from Aqaba in the south to Rehab, near the Syrian border.

The Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry, together with project lender Housing Bank for Trade & Finance, is handling the 30-month contract to monitor the design, planning, construction and implementation of the pipeline, which will supply Egyptian gas to the country's power plants by 2007. The deadline for bids is 7 September.

The pipeline is being built by the local/Egyptian Al-Fajr Company for Transferring & Marketing Natural Gas, which has the 30-year licence to design, build, finance and operate the $270-million pipeline. Construction has started and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2006.

The scope of work of the new tender includes: pre-drawdown services, including a review of contract documentation and preparation of procedures for measuring the progress of construction; engineering and construction services, including an evaluation of progress and budget on a monthly basis to identify whether the project is being constructed to the required standards; and completion and commissioning services, to review the commissioning plans and activities and advise on issuing a completion certificate.

It is anticipated that work on the contract will start in September (MEED 1:8:03).