Eight consultants shortlisted for Dahej FEED
Petronet-LNG is moving fast with its proposed expansion of the Dahej LNG terminal from 10m t/y to 15m t/y.
PETROWATCH learns it issued a limited tender on February 2 to eight pre-qualified consultants to prepare a FEED study for the $600m expansion: Engineers India, Fluor Daniel, Foster Wheeler, Whessoe, Tractebel, Sofregaz, Technip and Aker Kvaerner. All were meant to submit bids by March 5.
“But Petronet-LNG extended the deadline to March 19,” says a source, “after requests from Fluor Daniel, Foster Wheeler and Tractebel.” Only five of the eight pre-qualified consultants are likely to submit bids.
“Aker sent a letter to Petronet-LNG in mid-February stating it would not bid,” we learn. “Technip and Whessoe will stay away because of Petronet-LNG’s insistence that whoever wins the FEED contract will be barred from bidding for the (high value) expansion EPC tenders.
” Yet despite the extension, some companies complain a lack of time to prepare bids. Petronet-LNG is likely to award the contract by next month (April) and wants the selected contractor to prepare and submit the FEED report within 16 weeks, or four months, of the date of award.
After receiving the FEED report, Petronet-LNG hopes to award EPC contracts to expand the LNG terminal capacity within another four months. “If the FEED study is completed by July 2012, the award of EPC contracts will take place by November or December this year at the latest,” adds a source.
Whoever wins the FEED contract will also act as Petronet-LNG’s Project Management Consultant for the expansion and prepare the ‘technical package’ for EPC bidders. “The selected consultant will also help Petronet-LNG evaluate EPC bids,” we learn.