The first package, expected to be issued soon for bid, will cover the installation of a dual 36-inch-diameter subsea pipeline, each 60-80 kilometres long. The pipelines will transport natural gas from the proposed platforms at the offshore North field to a major onshore gas processing and compression plant, to be built at Ras Laffan.

The prequalifiers for the subsea pipeline package are Abu Dhabi-based National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the French/Norwegan Stolt Offshore, Italy's Saipem and US-based J Ray McDermott.

The second package will cover the fabrication and installation of two drilling platforms, two production platforms and a flare structure at the North field. The prequalifiers are NPCC, HHI, J Ray McDermott and Singapore's Sembawang.

The Dolphin project involves the supply of at least 3,000 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of Qatari gas from Qatar's North field to the UAE through a 370-440 kilometre, 48-inch-diameter subsea pipeline. The project will be carried out in several packages.

A tentative deadline of 15 July has been set for the submission of bids for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build the onshore gas compression and treatment plant at Ras Laffan. Four international groups are prequalified to price the EPC package, worth $1,200 million-1,500 million. The proposed facility will handle about 2,600 million cf/d of gas (MEED 28:2:03).

Contract awards are awaited on four other long-lead item packages, covering the supply of compressors and gas turbines, heat recovery generators and auxiliary boilers.