The contract, awarded by the companies of the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), following an international tender, has a total value of $520 million, and the scope of work comprises the engineering, procurement of bulk materials, coating, laying, and precommissioning of pipelines, fibre-optic cables, and umbilicals. Linepipe will be provided by the client. Saipem will install the pipeline system between 2006 and 2007 with a new laybarge and new trenching equipment. The companies forming the North Caspian Sea PSA, which includes the giant Kashagan field, are: Agip KCO (operator, 16.67%), BG Group, Total, ExxonMobil Kazakhstan, Inc., and Shell, all holding 16.67%, and ConocoPhillips and Inpex with 8.33% shareholdings each.