Oil India extends 3D deadline amid more protest

Vol 20, PW 25 (07 Sep 17) Exploration & Production

Oil India has extended the bid deadline in a tender to shoot and process 250-sq km Vibroseis 3D in Rajasthan amid continuing controversy over its demand that seismic be shot with digital sensors.

On August 28, Oil India announced on its website that it was extending the bid deadline from August 29 to September 19. This week Oil India is also expected to dispatch the minutes of its pre-bid held on August 11 when it heard vociferous protests against its demand for digital sensors from Russian contractor Pangea; Poland's Geofizyka Torun; Ahmedabad-based Globe Transport; US-based Geokinetics; Belarus-based Belorusneft and Gurgaon-based Advent Oilfield; and Asian Oilfield Services.

"All the bidders protested," says a source who attended. "Oil India said they'll get back to us." Oil India, he adds, argues that it wants to record seismicity or the relative frequency of earth movement at two hertz so needs digital sensors.

"But, we (bidders) told them Vibroseis will generate seismicity of seven hertz," explains a source. "Using digital sensors is unnecessary." However Oil India remained firm that it wanted digital sensors while acknowledging bidders concerns.

Advent, Pangea and Asian have all written to Oil India protesting against the demand for digital sensors alleging this would benefit a particular contractor. In our August 10 issue we reported how Geofyzika had denied that it was the contractor in question.

Another point of contention is clause 2.7 of the bid evaluation criteria under which whoever bids must have executed a seismic acquisition and processing contract worth at least Rs40cr ($6.6m) in the past seven years. "We're not upset about the contract value demand," says a source. "But Oil India's insistence that the same company should have acquired as well as processed data is questionable. Many companies do acquisition and processing through separate divisions within the same group." Oil India's condition that a bidder should have shot and processed 2000-sq km 3D in the last five years is also under scrutiny. "Everyone protested against this at the pre-bid," says another source. "Oil India was told to bring it down to 500-sq km. They said they might reduce it to 1000-sq km." Oil India has budgeted Rs85cr ($14m) for the project which it wants completed within 12 months. It has kept the option to increase the job by another 50% or 125-sq km over another six months. Whoever wins must mobilise crew, five Vibroseis machines, and other equipment within 60 days of receiving the LoA.

Oil India extends 3D deadline amid more protest

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