McDermott International has confirmed the award of a front end engineering and design contract from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) for work on a huge liquefied natural gas export terminal in the United Arab Emirates.

The Houston-based company said on Wednesday that the FEED award involves the new Fujairah LNG facility.

“Located approximately 250 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, UAE, the facility will include an LNG plant with a total capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum,” it said.

McDermott said the plant will be designed to "significantly reduce" greenhouse gas emissions, with features including electric drives for the liquefaction compressors.

Tareq Kawash, senior vice president for McDermott's onshore segment said the company will apply“robust capabilities and experience to perform this FEED for the Fujairah LNG project.”

“Our biggest differentiator is our ability to execute this FEED on a fast track basis incorporating all of the characteristics required to support the award of EPC contracts which are expected in 2023," he noted.

The US contractor was already involved in the earlier phases of Adnoc’s LNG development in the late 1980s, building storage facilities for both LNG and liquified petroleum gas under contracts for engineering procurement and construction on Das Island.

Adnoc recently confirmed the latest FEED ward in a social media post reported by Upstream.

“Adnoc’s new, carbon-efficient LNG plant in Fujairah is moving to the design stage, with McDermott International Ltd appointed as the design contractor,” the company noted.

KBR of the US is said to have landed the project management consultancy contract for the envisaged LNG terminal.

Ground-breaking

The state-owned giant plans to develop the two-train 9.6 million tpa liquefaction facility at Fujairah to cater to several gas markets around the world.

Adnoc said the terminal will become "one of the world’s lowest carbon intensity LNG production facilities through incorporating new technologies and running on clean power”.

The FEED award is expected to be followed by the award of an EPC contract in 2023, Adnoc added.

The Fujairah liquefaction plant will include process facilities, flare and utilities, project watchers said.

LNG storage tanks, an export jetty — with an option for bunkering — and other associated facilities are also likely to be involved.

The workscope is said to include laying a new 52-inch gas pipeline from Habshan to Fujairah, with the capacity to handle up to 2 billion cubic feet per day.