Project news round-up In contracting news, Saudi Aramco is set to receive bids from its pool of offshore Long-Term Agreement contractors for two c$1bn+ packages related to the Manifa oilfield, meanwhile bids have been received for three packages for the Zuluf incremental program. In the UAE, Adnoc has received technical bids for the EPS-2 project related to the Lower Zakum oilfield, while the larger LTDP-1 tender process is still underway. In Qatar, award of a major $4.5bn+ package related to production sustainability at the North Field is expected by year-end, for which a similar contract was awarded to Saipem and COOEC last year. Elsewhere, Upstream reports that Petrobras is aiming to award a contract for the manufacture and supply of its ''Hi-Sep'' system to TechnipFMC by the end of this month, potentially worth c$700m. In the LNG market, Sempra announced FERC approval for its Port Arthur Phase 2 project this week, whilst Commonwealth LNG announced a further 1mtpa Heads of Agreement with EQT ahead of targeted FID in 1Q24. In LNG shipping, news sources report that QatarEnergy could place orders for 15 Q-Max LNG Carriers at shipyards this year, in addition to an up to 40-vessel fleet expansion previously announced. Seismic: TGS and PGS merger - small positive for the industry TGS'' and PGS'' announcement to merge this week was likely not a major surprise given TGS'' ongoing efforts to consolidate the industry and its bid for PGS'' multi-client library in 2020. For PGS, combination with TGS ensures a firmer financial footing whilst TGS will benefit from a broader multi-client library and access to an increasingly scarce fleet of acquisition assets. We''d view the news as a net positive for the seismic industry/CGG - there''s a greater chance of discipline holding in a more consolidated supply chain, not least given lower client spending levels expected on frontier exploration and greater focus on near-field exploration in the energy transition. Chart...