Petroceltic confirmed the tendering process has begun for engineering, procurement and construction services at the Ain Tsila development in Algeria.

The contract will cover a central processing facility, an industrial base, an administration/ accommodation base, well gathering system, and product export system.

A short list of companies has been compiled, which includes Daewoo Engineering & Construction, the consortium of GS Engineering Corporation and Dodsal Engineering & Construction PTE, JGC Corporation and JGC Algeria, and Tecnidas Reunidas and Bonatti.

Petroceltic has a 38.25 per cent interest in the area.

Chief executive Brian O’Cathain said the company was pleased to see “ontinued solid progress” in the Ain Tsila project, with first gas expected in 2018.

“The anticipated award of the EPC to an EPC contractor with significant Algeria experience will be a major milestone in de-risking that schedule,” he said.