Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) has received bids from international construction companies - including consortiums led by Technip, Fluor and Japan's JGC - to expand its Sitra oil refinery under its modernisation program which is expected to cost about $5 billion, said a report.

The Bapco Modernisation Program (BMP) is aimed at boosting the processing capacity of the kingdom's only oil refinery to 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 267,000 bpd, according to Reuters.

Those in the race include consortiums comprising Japan's JGC Corporation and South Korea's GS; Technip, Tecnicas Reunidas and Samsung Engineering; Fluor, Hyundai Engineering and Construction and Daewoo Engineering and Construction (E&C) and that of CB&I and Petrofac, said the report.

The contract is expected to be awarded by the first quarter of 2017, it added.