SNF tipped to win Oil India polymer deal

Oil India is preparing to receive bids to flood the Nahorkatiya field in Assam with polymer-treated water amid speculation the tender is tailor-made for France's SNF and partner Assam Petroleum.

After scrapping its last tender for this Enhanced Oil Recovery Project in January (2019) Oil India wants fresh bids submitted by March 25 for a two-year contract plus one-year optional extension. In the last tender SNF with partner Assam Petroleum was left as sole bidder after Oil India disqualified rival JayBee Energy who teamed up with an unknown Chinese company.

Oil India re-issued the tender on March 1. Two sources working with international oilfield service providers allege Oil India's eligibility criteria mean few companies can bid.

They say point b) in the third clause of section 1.1.2 says the bidder must have operated and maintained a polymer injection facility of a minimum 400 cm/d capacity (equivalent to 3000 b/d of water-treated polymer) for at least two years during the last seven years. Only SNF, they say, meets this condition.

 Oil India's head Pranjit Deka, who took over as Oil India's Resident Chief Executive in Duliajan beginning February 1 (2019) was unavailable for comment.