Its engineering team will start work immediately to meet a scheduled completion in April 2012.

The expansion will allow the facility to receive natural gas from the Breagh field, one of the North Sea’s largest recent gas discoveries.

Andy Heppel, boss of Teesside Gas and Liquids Processing, said, “We are delighted to announce the award of this contract and are looking forward to working with AMEC  and our plant operator, px Limited, to deliver a safe and successful project to modify the Teesside Gas Processing Plant.

“The contract award is a major step in the overall project that will allow TGPP to process gas and liquids from the RWE Dea and Sterling Resource-owned Breagh field.”