Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd (GASCO) said on Friday it has awarded Italy's Snamprogetti, a unit of gas network Snam Rete Gas, a $1.43 billion EPC contract for a natural gas liquids train project. "The Ruwais 3rd NGL Train project ... is designed to process and fractionate 24,400 tonnes per day of raw natural gas liquids," GASCO said in a statement, adding that the project was scheduled to be completed within 38 months. It said the letter of award was issued on March 2.

The third train facility would be located next to existing NGL trains at Ruwais, it said, adding that the entire project facility includes a process train, product storage tanks, a jetty with two berths as well as utilities.

"While the products - propane, butane and pentane-plus - would be exported, ethane shall be transported to the nearby petrochemical complex as feedstock," the firm said.

GASCO, a unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC), is leading a drive to boost gas production from the oil-rich Gulf Arab state of the United Arab Emirates.

Copyright Reuters, 2005