December 17 - Fujairah Refinery Company Ltd, jointly owned by Vitol Group and the Government of Fujairah, recently awarded a multi-million dollar EPC contract to the Topaz Energy and Marine subsidiary, Nico International.

The contract award relates to the Oil Terminal 2 "Users' Line" Connection Project in the Port of Fujairah.

Part of the Topaz Engineering division, Nico was awarded the contract by FRCL in competition with several regional names. The project includes construction of pipelines interconnecting the Port of Fujairah facilities for Oil Terminal 2 and tie-ins with Oil Terminal 1 on an EPC basis. Topaz's scope of work includes design, supply, fabrication, installation, testing and pre-commissioning of white oil and black oil piping works with pigging facility along with allied electrical and instrumentation works. This is a fast track project and has to be completed in nine months. 

Bill Bayliss, the newly appointed COO of Topaz Engineering said in a statement; "Topaz's strong history and presence in Fujairah has placed us prominently for the award of complex EPC contracts such as this one for FRCL. Experience of operating in Fujairah since 1981, strict adherence to international standards of health, safety and environment, combined with diverse capabilities in Fujairah in oil and gas, marine repair and ship building has made Topaz a true partner of the Port of Fujairah and the Emirate of Fujairah as a whole." He continued, "Fujairah has tremendous potential for growth and this expansion and addition of storage tanks will enhance Fujairah's capacity and capability of handling oil products substantially." 

The FRCL contract signing is the latest in a string of contract awards for Topaz in Fujairah. The company's ability to provide comprehensive solutions locally, high HSE standards and highly competitive commercial terms make Topaz a frontrunner for major projects in Fujairah. In early September, the company was awarded a multi-million dollar project by the Port of Fujairah for construction of top side facilities at Oil Terminal 2. Topaz has executed projects of similar scope and volume in the recent past and considers this latest award an opportunity to strengthen its project execution capabilities in Fujairah. 

Topaz Engineering has recently commissioned its new onshore fabrication facility in Al Hayl, Fujairah which provides 30,000m² of prime fabrication space allowing Topaz to capture a major share of Fujairah's oil storage terminal construction market.