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MeneameArgentina's national power regulator Enre is negotiating with Neuquén province energy company Epen and three oil companies about which bidders to pre-qualify for a contract to build a 132kV transmission line between two oil fields in the Neuquén basin, Epen's power systems director Hugo Murga told BNamericas.
"There have been some problems so the pre-qualification is still not done, but it should be resolved soon because it is an urgent project," Murga said.
Epen signed an agreement in November 2003 with the companies - the Chevron San Jorge subsidiary of US-based ChevronTexaco, Argentina's Petrobras Energía and Spain's Repsol YPF - to link Repsol YPF's Loma de la Lata field with Chevron San Jorge's El Trapial field.
The line is designed to lower power costs for these oil companies and others in the Neuquén basin because they currently have to generate their own more-expensive power, Murga said.
Seven bids were received in October from the consortiums Alusa-Va Tech, Argencobra-Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, Skanska, Astra-Evangelista-Eleprint, Electroingeniería-Iecsa, Abengoa-Teyma Abengoa, and Elecnor-Elecnor Argentina.
Technical bids were opened earlier this month, but Elecnor-Elecnor Argentina's offer has been disqualified because it did not meet the technical requirements, an Enre statement said.
Although Enre said that the other six bidders have been pre-qualified to open economic offers, Murga said there is still disagreement between Enre, Epen and the three companies about which should be short-listed.
Epen and the three oil companies say more of the bidders should be disqualified to ensure that all of the bidders are technically capable of doing an adequate job, Murga said, adding: "The companies consider there are more bidders that haven't given guarantees that they can do the work properly."
"The negotiations are confidential," he added.
Epen had planned to pre-qualify bidders and award the contract by November 5, but that deadline has been pushed back and it is not clear when the economic bids will be opened, Murga said, adding that offers will be opened one week after the pre-qualified companies are announced.
If the contract is awarded this month, construction could start in December and would take 12 months, he added.
ChevronTexaco and Petrobras Energía will invest approximately 30% each of the total US$18mn cost of the project, while Repsol YPF will put up 18%, Epen about 17% and small consumers the remainder, Murga said. The percentages are in line with how much energy each company will consume.
The original estimated cost of the project was US$14mn, made earlier this year, but that has increased due to higher materials prices, Murga said.
The line is designed to help meet growing demand in Neuquén province in the medium and long term, particularly from oil and mining companies. The line will also improve the stability of the system and reduce dependence on local generators by linking northern Neuquén with the national grid (SIN).
TRANSFORMER
Chevron San Jorge plans to expand a transformer in the El Trapial field to facilitate the new line, and work will be carried out simultaneously to the main contract, Murga said.
Investment in that project is about US$1.5mn, he said, without saying whether Chevron San Jorge would hold a public tender for the work.
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