Oman announced on February 13th that four international energy companies have been short listed to develop its natural gas sector.
The short listed companies include Enron Corp., Sonatrach, British Gas and Enbridge Pipelines, a subsidiary of Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.
An official from the Omani oil ministry said that: “These companies have already pre-qualified for the tender and we expect to award one of them a five-year contract before June this year to develop the natural gas system.”
The winning bidder will operate and manage Oman Gas Company (OGC), which had been set up in 2000 to oversee the state’s gas projects, including two gas pipeline projects awarded last year.
The ministry official indicated that the winner will also operate and manage Oman’s gas transportation system, including the existing network, the two pipelines under construction and any additional pipelines that will be built.
India’s Dodsal & Co. had been awarded the Salalah pipeline project, while a consortium of Italy’s Eni, Lebanese Consolidated International Contractors Co. and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. had been selected for the Sohar pipeline project.
Currently, an 800-km pipeline feeds the Oman LNG [liquefied natural gas] and power plants, while the two additional lines will reach a combined 1,000 km. Oman, which produces about 850,000 b/d of crude, has been trying to diversify its economy away from oil revenues, accounting for nearly two-thirds of its income.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
