Final commercial bids are expected by the end of September for the work, which involves the installation of three water injection units with associated low-pressure flowlines from three wells. The successful bidder will also have to install three high-pressure booster pumps and construct a water-treatment plant.

The three bidding groups are: Italy's Bonatti, with Paris-based Technip; Germany's MANGHH; and Interbeton, with Iv-Oil & Gas, both of the Netherlands.

Petro-Canada has operated the giant Amal field, which has estimated reserves of some 4,000 million barrels of oil, since it purchased the country's upstream assets held by Germany's Veba Oil & Gasin early 2002. Amal has been operational since the early 1960s and Petro-Canada requires the technological upgrade if the current production rate of about 40,000 barrels a day of oil is to be maintained (MEED 1:2:02).