Bahrain Mirror- Reuters: Bahrain's oil minister said on Sunday he expects expansion contracts for Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) to be signed before the end of the year, state news agency BNA reported.

Bapco will choose the winning bid in the near future, with final contracts to be signed before the end of 2017, oil minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Khalifa.

Sources close to the deal told Reuters last month that state-run Bapco was expected to take a decision in the fourth quarter as it was due to meet a consortium led by UK-based TechnipFMC for further talks over the planned expansion of Bahrain's only oil refinery.