Land rig frustration as ONGC changes mind again
A joke which sadly isn't very funny! That's what drillers are saying ONGC's tender to hire land rigs has become after yet another change of mind has seen it amend the number of rigs needed while extending the bid deadline again - this time from September 23 to October 10.
PETROWATCH learns ONGC now wants to also hire one 2000-hp rig at its Tripura asset for three years in addition to three 2000-hp land rigs for its Cauvery asset and one 1400-hp rig for its Rajahmundry asset. All drillers were ready with their bids but received a single line message from ONGC on September 22 saying the deadline had been postponed yet again.
"It seems ONGC doesn't know how many rigs it wants to hire," says a driller. "This is frustrating, it takes time and effort to prepare bids." ONGC originally wanted four 2000-hp land rigs: three for the Cauvery asset and one at the Cachar forward base.
Then in August ONGC decided it needed a 1400-hp rig at the Rajahmundry asset for 18 months and dropped its demand for a 2000-hp rig at the Cachar forward base. "I won't be surprised if the new (October 10) deadline is postponed again," says a source.
"Tripura is a new requirement so bidders are likely to have queries on the technical specs of the rig required and the mobilisation schedule."