The Barzan project involves the development of a portion of Qatar's giant North Field, to provide extra natural gas production for the domestic sector.
The partnership, which recently selected J Ray McDermott for final talks on the offshore FEED contract, has opened commercial proposals from five bidders hoping to carry out the onshore study.
A source said it was "a very tight race", unlike the offshore element where McDermott, which has carried out a large amount of work on infrastructure in the North Field, had a head start.
The
