Estimated to be worth $250 million-300 million, the lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) contract calls for the installation of a new de-ethaniser column system and associated ancillary systems to process an additional 195,000 barrels a day (b/d) of ethane plus natural gas liquids (NGL) streams, which are a mixture of ethane, propane, butane and pentane. The project will raise total fractionation capacity at the plant to 585,000 b/d.

It will also entail the installation of associated vessels, heat exchangers and cooling equipment. In addition, a new 600-pound steam boiler will be installed and utility systems will be modified to accommodate the new process equipment. The US' Jacobs Engineering has carried out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) package. An award is scheduled for March, with the project due to come on stream in December 2008.

Bids are under evaluation for another gas treatment plant expansion scheme at Hawiyah. At least five companies priced the estimated $400 million LSTK contract in September, which is aimed at increasing the processing capacity of the plant to 2,400 million cubic feet a day by 2008 (MEED 23:9:05).