Leighton and SEW favourites to win C-Series job
Hyderabad-based oil and gas newcomer SEW Infrastructure and Mumbai-based EPC contractor Leighton-Welspun are widely believed to be frontrunners in the race to win an estimated $100m contract to build four well-head platforms for ONGC at its ‘C-Series’ fields in the Mumbai Offshore.
SEW partnering PT Gunanusa of Indonesia and Leighton partnering UAE-based Gulf Piping are among six consortia that submitted technical and price bids by the August 30 deadline. Others bidding are: L&T, alone; ABG Shipyard with Vietsovpetro, from Vietnam; Chennai-based Shriram EPC with PT Reka Indonesia and Alfa ECC, also from Vietnam; and Essar with Italy’s Saipem.
“SEW has recently bought an installation barge at a good price,” we hear. “They want to qualify it for an ONGC tender and will bid aggressively.
” SEW is offering ONGC a construction yard belonging to partner PT Gunanusa in Indonesia, or an alternative yard belonging to UAE-based Ferrofab. Leighton, which is fast winning a reputation for ‘aggressive’ bidding in ONGC tenders, is widely expected to have bid low in this tender too, according to rival contractors.
For construction of the four well-head platforms, Leighton is offering the UAE yard of partner Gulf Piping. Contractors don’t lay out much hope for Essar in this tender, despite its acquisition of a new installation barge.
Why Essar is offering Lamprell’s yard in the UAE, as well as the ABG Shipyard in India. “This will hinder Essar’s ability to offer a good price,” says a source.
Another favourite for this contract is L&T, a ‘dark horse’, which has named J. Ray McDermott, NPCC and Swiber as its installation sub-contractors.
“If L&T gets good rates,” we hear, “it could win.”
