National Industrial Gases Company (GAS), an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), has awarded a SR350 million ($93 million) lumpsum contract for construction of one of the world's largest air separation units to Linde AG of Germany.

The unit will be constructed at Jubail and is scheduled for completion by late 2004. It will increase the production capacity of GAS from 5,600 tonnes per day (tpd) to 8,600 tpd by 2004.

The plant will have a capacity of 3,000 tpd of oxygen and will also produce nitrogen, argon, krypton and xenon through cryogenic technology.

Compressors get new lease of life

Dammam: Two 19-year-old Atlas Copco compressors at the Saudi Industrial Gas Company (Sigas) received a fresh lease of life with an overhaul by the representatives of Sweden-based industrial group.

The overhaul has added at least a further five years to the Atlas compressors at Sigas's production facility in Dammam.

For the past 19 years the compressors have been at the heart of Sigas's air separation plant at the facility. Housed within a soundproofed plant room, the company has a GT050 four-stage compressor with a flow rate of 20,000 N cu m /hr and a GT023 three-stage unit with a slightly lower flow rate of 15,000 N cu m /hr.

The overhaul was completed within weeks, said Amarnath Pallath, customer services manager at Sigas.

McDermott in Khafji deal

Dubai: McDermott Arabia Company, a subsidiary of J Ray McDermott, has been awarded a turnkey contract by Al Khafji Joint Operations, a venture between Aramco Gulf Operations Company (AGOC) and Arabian Oil Company (AOC), to install a submarine cable and two substations at existing facilities in the Al-Khafji oil field. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The project involves engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of a new 42 km, 40 kV power transmission system, from an existing gas-gathering station 40km offshore, to an existing power plant.

Two additional substations will be installed at the onshore site and at the offshore gathering station. A new utility platform will be constructed and installed to accommodate the offshore substation.

Samic building office block

Dammam: Saudi Arabia's Samic real estate development company said it is building a 12-storey office block in Dammam which will house a restaurant and various office options, including furnished units. The project is due for completion by the end of the year.

Cool offer from Daikin

Jeddah: Daikin is offering a range of attractive gifts on the purchase of an air-conditioning equipment this summer in Saudi Arabia.

The company said that with the purchase of every Daikin air-conditioner, the customer will be given a gift voucher depending on the number of ACs bought.

The voucher can be redeemed for a wide variety of gifts such an AC, electric fryer, meat grinder, TV, microwave oven, video camera or tape, CD or video player.

The gifts can be collected from any Daikin dealer or Ahmed Abdul Wahed Trading Company or its authorised dealers. The offer is valid until July 31.

New laws lure investors

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's new investment laws are bringing in more foreign capital to the country's construction sector, it was revealed.

New projects licensed by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority recently have also spurred the construction sector with demand increasing for housing units and apartments.

The projects are concentrated around the main cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah and Madinah.