Dolphin Energy Limited (DEL) has published a short-list of qualified bidders for the three Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) packages which make up the offshore element of the Dolphin Project. Companies from Singapore, South Korea, Italy, France, Switzerland and UAE approved to bid for platforms, sealine and export pipelines.
The Dolphin Project is a unique strategic regional energy initiative. It involves development of natural gas reserves from Qatar's offshore North Field, their processing onshore at Qatar's Ras Laffan – and transportation by export pipeline of up to 3.2 billion cubic feet a day (bcf/d) of refined product to the UAE, beginning in 2006.
The three Offshore EPC packages cover, respectively, construction and installation of the offshore platforms in the North Field; laying two sea lines from the production complexes to Ras Laffan and laying the export pipeline from Ras Laffan to the UAE receiving facilities.
Offshore EPC for Production Platforms
The four bidders approved for the Offshore Platforms EPC are:
National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) -(UAE)
J. Ray McDermott Middle East Inc. -(UAE)
SMOE Pte Ltd. (Sambewang) -(Singapore)
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Limited -(South Korea)
This contract specifically covers the construction and installation of 2 offshore complexes.
Offshore EPC for Sealines
The five bidders approved for the Sealine EPC are:
National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) -(UAE)
J.Ray McDermott Middle East Inc. -(UAE)
Saipem S.p.A - (Italy)
Stolt Offshore S.A - (France)
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.Limited - (South Korea)
This contract specifies the laying of two subsea 34/36 inch-diameter concrete-coated pipelines of approximately 78 kms in length, which will transport multi phase products from North Field wellheads to the Dolphin Energy Processing Plant at Ras Laffan.
Offshore EPC for the Export Pipeline
Six bidders have been approved for the Export Pipeline EPC
National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) - (UAE)
J.Ray McDermott Middle East Inc. - (UAE)
Saipem S.p.A - (Italy)
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Limited - (South Korea)
Stolt Offshore S.A - (France)
Allseas Marine Contractors S.A - (Switzerland)
This contract will cover the laying of the subsea 48-inch diameter concrete-coated Export Pipeline between the Gas Processing Plant at Ras Laffan and the Receiving Facilities Terminal in the UAE.
A Dolphin Energy spokesman stated that the bid documents for the Sealines and Export Pipeline were issued in March. The bid documents for the Platform will be issued shortly. The company expects to award the contracts during the summer of 2003.
Dolphin Energy's activities in Qatar are set out in two major agreements with the government-owned Qatar Petroleum. The two agreements, the Development and Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA) and the Export Pipeline Agreement (EPA), were endorsed by Emiri Decrees No. 12 and No. 13 issued in May 2002 after being signed in December 2001.
The Dolphin Project is the first cross-border gas pipeline project in the Middle East and the agreements lay the foundation for stronger economic cooperation between Qatar and the UAE, marking the beginning of a new era of regional cooperation.
