(Reuters) - The Australian unit of ConocoPhillips <COP.N>, the world's largest independent oil and gas producer, said on Thursday it awarded a major contract for its Barossa gas export pipeline project to Allseas Marine Contractors Australia Pty Ltd.
The project in northern Australia is in the front-end engineering design phase, it said in a statement, without giving any financial details of the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract to Allseas.
Once commercial deals are signed, ConocoPhillips Australia expects the project to provide a new source of gas to its existing Darwin liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, when the existing offshore gas supply from another nearby facility is exhausted.
"Evaluation of tenders for the floating production, storage and offloading facility and development drilling contracts is well progressed," Santos <STO.AX>, which owns a 25% stake in Barossa, said in a separate statement.
The Barossa project is a joint venture, with ConocoPhillips the operator, holding a 37.5% stake, SK E&S with 37.5% and Santos holding the remaining 25% stake.
(Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru)
