MEED reported that Oman’s Galfar Engineering & Construction has emerged as the frontrunner to win an estimated USD 100 million deal to build and install a series of pipelines to support Qatar Petroleum’s drilling program at the onshore Dukhan oil and gas field.

Bidding firms include; Blackcat, Fernas Construction Company, Galfar Engineering & Contracting, Medgulf Construction, Panorama Contracting & Engineering Services.

While contractors originally expected a contract to be awarded by the end of March, they now say they expect an award by July. The winning contractor will build and install flowlines, spurlines and gas lift wells at the onshore field. It will also provide associated instrumentation, control devices and facilities.

The Dukhan field contains 3 oil reservoirs estimated to contain some 2 billion barrels of crude oil and a non associated gas reservoir. QP has planned a drilling program from 2010 to 2012 to boost production of Dukhan field to 350,000 barrels per day from about the current 335,000 barrels per day.

According to the US’ Energy Information Administration, in December last year, QP increased oil production to 1 million barrels per day from 960,000 barrels per day, providing the country with 270,000 barrels per day of spare crude capacity. Enhanced oil recovery techniques deployed at the Dukhan, Bul Hanine and Maydan Marjam oil fields contributed 4.2% of the increase.

(Sourced from MEED)