Capital projects and contracts - May 23rd 2014

Technip has secured a EUR4.5 billion (USD6.14 billion) contract from JSC Yamal LNG for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility with a capacity of 16.5 million tons per year. The scope of work will consist of engineering, procurement and module fabrication on a fixed-price basis and site construction on a reimbursable basis. Read more here - www.epcengineer.com/news/post/11833/technip-confirms-very-major-project-award-for-the-engineering-procurement-and-construction-of-yamal-

A consortium including RWE Dea and Petrofac has signed a contract for the construction of a natural gas processing plant and infrastructure in the Algerian Sahara for the Reggane Nord project. The contract is valued at USD976 million. A total of 26 development wells are to be completed during the first drilling campaign. Find out more details here - www.rwe.com/web/cms/en/53724/rwe-dea/presse-news/press-releases/press-release/?pmid=4011207 and here - www.petrofac.com/media/news/2014/may/16/reggane-north-development-project.aspx

Foster Wheeler has revealed that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, in joint venture with affiliates of Chiyoda Corporation, Saipem and WorleyParsons Limited, has been awarded a contract by LNG Canada Development Inc. for the provision of FEED and project execution services for a proposed LNG export project, known as the LNG Canada Project, in Kitimat, British Columbia. See more here - phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=80422&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1932840&highlight=

Exxon Mobil Corporation has executed an agreement to add nearly 26,000 acres to its US oil and natural gas portfolio, managed by subsidiary XTO Energy Inc., through a non-monetary exchange with LINN Energy, LLC. Almost all of the acreage is located within the portion of the Midland Basin that is most prospective for horizontal Wolfcamp and Spraberry development. More information here - news.exxonmobil.com/press-release/exxonmobil-increases-liquids-rich-wolfcamp-acreage-permian-basin

Europe's biggest blast furnace in Duisburg-Schwelgern, which came online in 1993, is to be modernised in the middle of June.

The blast furnace is being comprehensively upgraded and the 2 m thick refractory lining is being fully replaced. Around 7,100 tonnes of refractory material will be needed for the 75 m tall furnace vessel alone. In addition the furnace cooling system is being modernised with the replacement of more than 2,300 copper cooling plates. Further repair and replacement work will take place in the cast house and in the hot blast stoves, gas cleaning system, slag granulator and expansion turbine, among other areas. Read more about it here - www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/art_detail.html&eid=TKBase_1400220053849_1928848792

Toshiba Corporation has won a contract with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for the manufacture of toroidal field coils for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) being constructed in Cadarache, France.

Keihin Product Operations and Toshiba IHI Power Systems Corporation will begin manufacturing the coils at the end of this month. The ITER facility will have a total of 18 coils and initiate plasma experiments in 2020.

Toshiba has been commissioned to manufacture four toroidal field coils and six containers to hold the coils, and will start deliveries in 2017. Toroidal field coils are used to produce strong magnetic fields that confine the high-temperature plasma necessary for nuclear fusion to occur. Find more details here - www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2014_05/pr2001.htm

Subsea 7 has been awarded its largest UK EPIC services contract, valued in excess of USD460 million, by Premier Oil UK Limited in support of its Catcher Area Development.

Located 180km east of Aberdeen in Central North Sea Block 28/9, the contract covers the provision of project management, engineering, procurement, construction, fabrication and installation of Catcher's subsea facilities. See more here - www.subsea7.com/en/index.html

GNPower Kauswagan (GNPK) has won a contract from Shanghai Electric Power Construction Co. (SEPCC) for the EPC of a USD1 billion thermal facility in Kauswagan, Lanao Del Norte. Read about it here - www.ayala.com.ph/news/page/ac-energys-gnpk-signs-epc-contract-for-552mw-thermal-plant-in-mindanao

Sembcorp Marine's subsidiary Jurong Shipyard has secured a USD236 million contract to build a high specification, tailor-made jack-up rig for new customer Hercules North Sea Ltd. Find out more here - www.sembcorp.com/en/news_detail.aspx?NewsID=1064#.U33q7S-qP-Y

Jacobs Engineering Group has received a five-year frame agreement for work at three Borealis facilities in Belgium. The three facilities covered under the contract are Borealis Polymers nv, Borealis Kallo nv and Borealis Antwerpen Compounding nv.

Jacobs' scope of work includes study, engineering, procurement, construction management, and personnel support services on a variety of projects at the three facilities. Each project is expected to have a total installed cost of up to USD13 million. Get more information here - invest.jacobs.com/investors/Press-Release-Details/2014/Jacobs-Receives-Additional-Contract-from-Borealis-in-Belgium/default.aspx

Jacobs has also been awarded the contract by P.T. OKI Pulp and Paper Mills for the design and supply of an integrated chlorine dioxide plant for its pulp mill project in South Sumatra, Indonesia.

When completed the plant is anticipated to produce 172 metric tonnes of chlorine dioxide per day, making it the largest chlorine dioxide plant ever built, says Jacobs Engineering. The plant will be commissioned in 2016. Read the full story here - http://invest.jacobs.com/investors/Press-Release-Details/2014/Jacobs-Receives-Contract-from-PT-OKI-for-Chlorine-Dioxide-Plant-in-Indonesia/default.aspx

Siemens has won a contract to provide 150 wind turbines for the Gemini wind power plant, the largest Dutch offshore power project.

The power plant will be located in the North Sea, 85 km above the coast of Groningen and have an installed capacity of 600 MW. The contract is valued at more than EUR1.5 billion (USD2.05 billion). See more details here - www.siemens.com/press/en/pressrelease/?press=/en/pressrelease/2014/energy/wind-power/ewp201405048.htm

Gazprom Neft has signed a three-year framework agreement on drilling and well reconstruction with leading CIS onshore and offshore drilling service provider Eurasia Drilling Company Limited (EDC). More information here - www.gazprom-neft.com/press-center/news/1102135/

KBR has secured a contract for project management consultancy (PMC) services for the construction of the advanced oil processing complex, which is the part of the renovation program of the largest operating refinery in Russia, owned by JSC Gazprom Neft. The refinery is located in Omsk, Western Siberia, Russia.

KBR will provide PMC services for three new process units and offsites and utilities construction beginning with the front-end engineering and design phase and continuing through EPC, commissioning and start-up. KBR's London and Russian operating centres will execute the PMC. Find out more about it here - www.kbr.com/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2014/05/22/KBR-Wins-Project-Management-Consultancy-Contract-for-Participation-in-the-Major-Revamp-Program-Russias-Largest-Refinery/

Kitsault Energy (KE) has proposed a dedicated energy corridor and energy export terminal near Kitsault in British Columbia, Canada.

All interested parties are welcome to join KE for further discussion at The Canadian LNG Exports Multi-Stakeholder Conference in Vancouver at which Krishnan Suthanthiran, President of Kitsault Energy, will be speaking on June 19, 2014. Read more here - www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140522005210/en/Kitsault-Energy-Proposes-Dedicated-Energy-Corridor-Energy#.U33h6y-qO3U

Oil and gas exploration and production company, Armada Oil, Inc., plans to accelerate its development efforts in south Louisiana as well as to diversify and reallocate the bulk of its asset base to the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions. More details here - armadaoil.us/2014/05/armada-oil-discusses-its-new-strategic-direction/

Armada Oil, Inc. has made various changes to its executive management team and board of directors in anticipation of increasing drilling and production management activity.

J. Clint Unruh has been promoted to chief operating officer. He was previously executive vice president - land and administration.

Ray L. Unruh along with Randy M. Griffin, ceo, will now serve as executive vice president in addition to his previous roles as corporate secretary and a member of the board of directors.

James J Cerna Jr. has resigned as president in order to pursue other opportunities but will continue as a member of the board of directors.

Marceau N. Schlumberger has resigned as a director of the Company and the board expects to fill the vacancy later this year.

Read the full story here - armadaoil.us/2014/05/armada-oil-inc-announces-management-team-and-board-changes/

Carol Johnson has joined Fluor Corporation and will be assigned to Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), LLC, as president and chief executive officer. See more here - newsroom.fluor.com/press-release/archive/carol-johnson-joins-fluor-new-savannah-river-nuclear-solutions-president-and-c

Sandvik AB has acquired Varel International Energy Services, Inc. (VIES), including the business units Downhole Products, Varel Oil & Gas Drill Bits, and Varel Mining & Industrial.

The business area will be consolidated into Sandvik Venture and VIES will become a platform for Sandvik to expand into the upstream oil and gas industry. Find out more here - www.sandvik.com/en/news-and-media/news/general/sandvik-completes-acquisition-of-varel-international-energy-services-inc/

Alstom T&D India has secured an order valued at approximately EUR6 million (USD8.19 million), to renovate and modernise grid substations for Bihar State Power Transmission Company Limited (BSPTCL). Learn more here - www.alstom.com/en/press-centre/2014/5/alstom-td-india-to-renovate-and-modernise-grid-infrastructure-of-bihar-/

It has also secured a EUR15 million (USD20.48 million) contract from SNC Engineering & Construction to supply the new 138/24 kV "Zulia 8" digital substation in Venezuela. The project is part of the production plans of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) PETROBOSCAN to increase the availability of power to the new oil campus south of Maracaibo. Read more about the project here - www.alstom.com/en/press-centre/2014/5/alstom-awarded-the-first-fully-digital-substation-contract-in-venezuela/

Research and Markets has published its "Vietnam LNG Market Outlook Report (Q2 2014) - Analysis of Supply/Demand, Terminals, Investments, Companies, Market Conditions and New Opportunities".

The report analyses the Vietnamese LNG market outlook report and provides complete data on each segment of Vietnam LNG value chain. The report also details LNG supply, LNG demand, contracts, market outlook along with major trends and challenges of investing in the market. Further, historical and forecasted information on LNG plants, storage tanks and LNG carriers is provided for each of the existing and planned LNG terminals in Vietnam. Get the full report here - www.researchandmarkets.com/research/mt5mvw/vietnam_lng

US-based Dow Chemical Company has awarded Fluor Corporation the EPC contract for its Reverse Osmosis (RO) manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, revealed gulfbusiness.com.

Located in Jubail Industrial City II at the Sadara Chemical Company complex, the facility will locally manufacture RO membranes that purify water for drinking and industrial uses. More information available here - gulfbusiness.com/2014/05/dow-awards-construction-contract-reverse-osmosis-plant-saudi/#.U33_ii-qPs0

A McDermott International subsidiary has signed a lease agreement with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi State Port Authority for the exclusive right to operate a spoolbase and marine operations base in the Port of Gulfport. McDermott expects the facility, designed to serve projects from the Gulf of Mexico, will be available in early 2016. Read details here - www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140519005178/en/McDermott-Signs-Agreement-Gulfport-Spoolbase#.U33p6S-qP-Y

For more information about any of these capital project developments, or if you would like to share details of projects in your region, please contact David Kershaw.