Nigeria LNG Ltd. has named a group led by France's Technip and Italy's Snamprogetti SpA preferred main contractor for a much delayed liquefied natural gas processing and export plant at Bonny Island in Southeast Nigeria.
The company disclosed the start of further negotiations on the estimated $4.5 billion project with the group made up of Technip, Snamprogetti, M.W. Kellogg Co. of the U.S., and JGC Corp. of Japan.
Nigeria LNG said financing of the project is on schedule for construction to start in 1995, with first LNG cargoes slated for delivery in 1999. The company was recently relaunched to prevent further drainage of project funding (OGJ, Jan. 17, Newsletter).
A Nigeria LNG official confirmed the Bonny Island plant is to be based on the Air Products & Chemicals Inc. process. This was the design originally proposed in 1987, although a newer process developed by Technip and Snamprogetti was preferred for a period (OGJ, Apr. 19, 1993, p. 36).
Two groups of contractors were asked to submit engineering, procurement, and construction bids for the project, based on the Air Products process. The other group was led by Bechtel Corp. and Chiyoda Corp.
