McDermott has secured a detailed design contract from Qatar Petroleum (QP) covering the offshore jackets for the new North Field expansion project, located offshore Qatar.

According to QP, the design contract plays a significant step towards awarding of an engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation (EPCI) contract by the end of this year.

QP intends to begin the drilling campaign next year.

The company entrusted Qatargas with the execution of the project, including the commencement of the ‘detailed engineering’ with McDermott for the offshore jackets.

Qatar Petroleum President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said: “This is yet another milestone on the road to implementing one of the most ambitious gas projects in the southern sector of the North Field, and starting the first LNG production from the new LNG mega train by the end of 2023.”

The contract award is part of QP’s plan to enhance its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity from the existing 77 to 100 million tonnes per annum.

Al-Kaabi further added: “With a targeted capacity of 4.6 billion cubic feet per day, the North Field expansion project will add about one million barrels per day of oil equivalent to the State of Qatar’s production.”

The contract is part of a larger project, which includes six wellhead platforms, jackets and associated pipelines to deliver 4.6 billion standard cubic feet a day of gas from the North Field expansion project.

QP plans to integrate the offshore facilities with the three new 7.8 million tonnes per annum LNG production trains, for which the front-end engineering and design contract was awarded to Japan’s Chiyoda.