Two packages on the Gharraf oil field development in Iraq are expected to be tendered in the coming months, according to sources familiar with the project.

Project operator, Malaysia’s Petronas, is planned to tender the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work for the central processing facility (CPF) and integrated gas processing plant.

At least five companies are thought to be prequalified to bid for the CPF, including Japanese groups Chiyoda and JGC, UK-based Petrofac, South Korea’s Samsung Engineering and Italy-based Saipem.

According to one source, the packages are expected to be tendered in July or August after the end of Ramadan.

The front-end engineering and design (feed) work for the new facilities was completed by Switzerland-based oil field services company Weatherford International in March 2014.

The CPF includes two new crude trains – trains 3 and 4 – each with the capacity to process 50,000 barrels a day (b/d), with a fifth train planned to be constructed at a later date bringing the total capacity to 230,000 b/d.

Two trains are already under construction by Weatherford. Trains 3 and 4, and the new gas treatment plant are expected to be in operation by the end of the decade.

The Gharraf field is operated by Petronas, in consortium with Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) and state-owned North Oil Company. Production began in September 2013 at 35,000 b/d, almost a year behind schedule. 

The field is located in Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq, 85 kilometres north of the city of Nasiriyah.