BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 20 (UPI) -- A BP-led consortium said it awarded $841 million worth of construction and engineering contracts for work in the Shah Deniz gas field off Azerbaijan's coast.
Bechtel Enka, a joint venture between U.S. engineering company Bechtel International and Turkish construction company Enka Insaat ve Sanayi, secured $528 million in contracts for the construction of access roads and compressor stations in Georgia, to Azerbaijan's west.
Four contracts worth a combined $139 million for oil services companies Wood Group Kenny Limited, Apply Emtunga, DrillTec and CSM Bessac call for pipeline engineering, construction and offshore facilities.
Chicago Bridge & Iron U.K. Ltd. won a $174 million contract for pipeline engineering and project management.
Gordon Birrell, regional president for BP, said awarding the contracts gives the consortium developing Shah Deniz the confidence to ensure the first shipments of gas will be sent by late 2018.
"They underpin the tremendous progress that has been made since our final investment decision was taken in December," he said in a statement Wednesday.
Last year, the BP-led consortium working in the second phase of the Shah Deniz natural gas field selected the Trans-Adriatic pipeline as its conduit for European consumers. The pipeline is part of the Southern Corridor, a network of pipelines planned to add diversity to a European market dependent on Russian natural gas.
