LONDON Three bidders have been short-listed for the development of phases 9/10 of Iran's giant South Pars gas field and the likely winner of the estimated $1 billion contract could be announced in about a month.

Asadollah Salehiforouz, managing director of Pars Oil and Gas, which oversees the overall development of South Pars, said that the technical evaluation of the proposals had been completed.

"Our conclusions will now be passed to the transactions committee and we are ready to look at the commercial and financial bids," he was reported to have told *** Petroleum Argues *** weekly.

According to the oil newsletter, the short-listed bids are from South Korea's LG in a consortium with Iran's oil industries engineering and France's Technip with local firm Sunfire, which groups 16 contractors. The third is from Petro-Canada.

Phases 9/10 is aimed to increase production of natural gas for Iran's expanding domestic network, together with liquefied petroleum gas and condensates, most of which will be allocated for export.

Salehiforouz was also quoted saying those negotiations for phases 11/12 will start in the fourth quarter of the year. Italy's ENI, already involved in phases 4/5, was said to be favorite among the bidders, which include BP, Shell, Totalfinaelf and Statoil.

*** Petroleum Argues *** reported that an oil contract at South Pars, which has been tendered separately, was also expected to be awarded by the end of the year.