Saudi Aramco is understood to be closing in on the award of its giant Hasbah incremental facilities project off Saudi Arabia, which is thought to be valued at more than $1.5 billion.

After a period of weeks in which market rumours have circulated about which contractors are best placed for the work, India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and McDermott of the US are thought to be battling it out at the top of the queue.

“These