ONGC extends deadline for service contracts
ONGC has postponed the formal proposal submission deadline for companies interested in service contracts at seven mature onland Gujarat fields, from November 16 to November 25.
PETROWATCH learns ONGC has extended this deadline “because of the Dipawali holidays.” But the chief of ONGC’s Ahmedabad asset, executive director Anil Johri, tells us the delay will make little difference as physical work on the ground at these fields may not begin for three years anyway! “Take the Kalol field which has over 600 wells,” explains Johri.
“To prepare a model of Kalol it will take at least two years to get data from all 600 wells. This information must then be ‘matched’ and the ‘history of the wells must be synchronised’ before the data is uploaded.
” So why is ONGC inviting the service contract proposals so far in advance Johri answers by comparing the entire process to a mango tree. “If I plant the sapling today,” he says, “I must wait a couple of years to get fruit.
” Sadly, not everyone is as patient as a mango farmer. Adani Energy, which had earlier sent in an Expression of Interest (EoI) for this project, has dropped out of the race.
“Adani had second thoughts,” adds Johri, “and has informed us it is no longer interested as the project is too big.” Johri says 14 companies are still in the race including big players like AWT, Synergy, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford, and Baker Hughes.
Also competing are Australian explorer Oilex with GSPC; Hamex Oilfield Services; Hydrocarbon Resources Development and a consortium of Mumbai–based financial services company Centrum, Mumbai-based consultancy Trisun Energy, and Oman–based explorer Petrogas. In May this year, ONGC invited EoIs from companies interested in service contracts at the Kalol, Nawagam, Nandej, Wasna, Mahlej, Sadra and Halisa fields.