Single bid for Oil India DSF job
Despite a good pre-bid response, Oil India’s retendered EPC project at DSF-2 block KG/OSDSF/GSKW/2018 received just one bid.
By the February 15 (2024) deadline, only Ahmedabad-based Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon (DRAIPL) had bid to construct and install two offshore platforms and lay two subsea pipelines at eastern offshore shallow water block KG/OSDSF/GSKW/2018 in the Bay of Bengal. As DRAIPL has no manufacturing facility, it has tied up with Indonesia’s PT Gunanusa to manufacture the platforms and South Korea’s APMC to transport and install them and the pipelines at the block, according to a source.
APMC was the sole bidder in the previous tender, prompting Oil India to scrap and reissue the tender. Oil India held a fresh pre-bid on January 17 (2024), attended by APMC, PT Gunanusa, PT Meindo (Indonesia) and L&T.
Some blame the poor response on Oil India’s project execution methodology and the relatively small value of the assignment, estimated to be worth around $36m-$48m. "Oil India wants the work done in two seasons when it can be easily done in just one season," we hear.
"Oil India wants the jackets of both platforms installed by January 2025 and the topsides in 2026." This timeframe might increase costs because vessels must be mobilised and demobilised twice.
"Doing this small job over two seasons makes no sense," we hear. There is a good chance the latest tender will be scrapped just like the last one because of the lack of interest.
Awarded to Oil India under DSF-2 on March 7 (2019), KG/OSDSF/GSKW/2018 near Kesanapalli village includes five fields across two parts, separated by 1.75-km, with water depths ranging from five to 15 metres.