UK-based Petrofac has submitted the lowest bid of KD408m ($1.33bn) for the main contract for Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) Gathering Centre 32, according to three industry sources familiar with the project.

South Korea’s SK Engineering submitted the second-lowest bid of KD420m, followed by Samsung Engineering with KD500m.

Petrofac was one of 18 firms to bid to carry out engineering, procurement and construction works at the centre. The companies that were prequalified last year are:

• Aker Kvaerner (Norway)
• Air Liquide (France)
• China Petroleum Engineering & Construction (China)
• Chiyoda Corporation (Japan)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens)
• Daelim (South Korea)
• Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Dodsal (UAE)
• GS Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)
• JGC Corporation (Japan)
• KBR (USA)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Petrofac (UK)
• Saipem (Italy)
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• SNC Lavalin (Canada)
• Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)

Gathering Centre 32 in southeastern Kuwait aims to deal with increasing crude sourness from the Burgan field. The centre, which is set for completion by March 2020, is one of several being built to support KOC’s plans to increase oil production. Kuwait aims to pump 4 million barrels a day (b/d) by 2020.

The centre will process crude oil and associated gas produced from the Arifjan, Marat, Minagish, Oolite and Burgan Wara fields.

The facilities to be constructed will have the following product capabilities:

• Total crude oil production - 120,000 b/d
• Crude oil desalting - 120,000 b/d
• Total condensate production - 12,500 b/d of condensate 
• Total effluent water - 280,000 b/d of water 
• Total gas production - 83 million cubic feet a day of gas