The main topside for Statoil's Kvitebjørn platform in the North Sea is to be built by Norway's Umoe Olje og Gass under a contract worth just over NOK 2 billion.
This assignment, the largest in the development project, covers engineering and construction of the deck structure with process facilities, flare boom and utilities.
Umoe won the contract in competition with three other Norwegian companies.
Engineering is due to start in August at the company's Oslo office, while construction will be handled by its Haugesund yard north of Stavanger after the summer of 2001.
Located about 20 kilometres east of Statoil's Gullfaks field, Kvitebjørn is being developed with a fully-integrated fixed platform carrying drilling and process systems as well as living quarters.
Gas and condensate will be separated on this installation for piping to Statoil's gas treatment plant at Kollsnes near Bergen and the group's nearby Mongstad oil terminal and refinery respectively.
The total bill for building the platform is put at NOK 5 billion.
In addition to the Umoe contract, the project team is due to place orders for the jacket, drilling module and living quarters with helideck. These awards are also likely to be made before the summer holiday.
A lifting and installation contract was allocated to contractor Saipem UK in March.
All contracts are conditional on a decision by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to give Kvitebjørn priority in the next allocation of fields to supply existing Norwegian gas sales contracts. This is also due to be clarified in late June.
Kvitebjørn is scheduled to come on stream in the autumn of 2004. Statoil's partners in the licence are Norsk Hydro and Elf.