The Saudi Arabia/Kuwait joint venture, Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), has awarded a $400m contract to France’s Technip to oversee its oil operations in the offshore area between the two countries.

The contract is a lump-sum engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, commissioning and start-up contract. The scope of works includes the installation of two integrated wellhead jackets, two power distribution platforms and a main composite submarine cable. Technip will also carry out refurbishment of offshore platforms.

The actual fabrication, transportation and installation activities for the contract have been subcontracted by Technip to China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation.

KJO is responsible for oil operations in the Neutral Zone, an area between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait where the border is not properly defined, and its offshore area. The company is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco subsidiary Aramco Gulf Operations and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company.

Technip was also recently awarded a $920m refinery rehabilitation contract by Algeria’s Sonatrach (MEED 7:10:10).