The joint venture had considered a number of proposals from independent consultant engineers before awarding the study to Hatch, a major consulting and engineering, procurement and construction management company.

"The appointment of Hatch, a world-leading engineering group, to undertake the CTL plant pre-feasibility study is another major step for Gulf and Geleximco as we jointly progress this significant and strategic energy project in Vietnam," Gulf chairman Scott Reid said.

Gulf and Geleximco had in mid-June formed a JV to study the feasibility as well as the development and implementation of a CTL plant