Qatar Petroleum (QP) and the partners have awarded France’s Technip a Front-end engineering and design (feed) for the second phase expansion of the Laffan Refinery in the northeast of Qatar.

The expansion will double production to 292,000 barrels a day (b/d) from the current 146,000 b/d, Zawya Dow Jones news agency reports.

The value of the contract was not revealed.

Feed work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts are expected to be awarded by the third quarter 2012.

International engineering and construction firms submitted bids in June for a diesel hydrotreater at the refinery (MEED 24:6:11).

The Laffan refinery only started production in late 2009, using condensates supplied by state-run liquefied natural gas producers, Qatargas and Rasgas. It produces naptha, kerojet fuel, gasoil and liquid petroleum gas.

Operated by Qatargas, Laffan Refinery Company is a joint venture of QP, France’s Total, the US’ ExxonMobil and four Japanese firms: Cosmo Oil; Idemitsu; Marubeni Corporation; and Mitsui.