UAE US-based VECO is understood to be in line to win the contract to carry out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract on the Huwaila oil field development in onshore Abu Dhabi emirate. Three other companies - Sharjah-based Petrofac International, Tebodin Middle East,part of Tebodin of the Netherlands, and Paris-based Technip-Coflexip -are competing for the FEED contract (MEED 13:6:03).

The estimated $25 million project calls for the supply and installation of a 12-inch-diameter pipeline of about 27 kilometres in length, a multi-phase pumping station and related facilities. Under the field development plan, crude produced at Huwaila will be transported to the neighbouring Bu Hasa field for processing (MEED 31:1:03). The client, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (Adco), plans to produce about 10,000 barrels a day from the field by 2005 (see page 8).