Thirty-four companies have submitted expressions of interests (EOIs) to market Guyana’s entitlement from the Exxon-operated Liza Destiny FPSO in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.
The companies include the Stabroek Block operator ExxonMobil, current marketer Shell Western Supply and Trading Ltd, former British Petroleum Company BP, Norway’s state-owned Equinor and Total. Also among the pool of bidders is major commodities trader Glencore, which operates in a number of countries and has been the subject of a number of investigations for “suspicion of bribery” and has been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department in 2018 over possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act relating to its operations in Nigeria, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Similar companies, many with offices around the world like Mercuria Energy Trading, Gunvor and Vitol, also supplied proposals. Hartree, the company which told Guyana that an oil refinery here was not feasible, also submitted its proposal.
Local company Century Tamara Energy Services Inc., an affiliate of the Nigerian owed Century Tamara Group, also submitted a proposal.
The EOIs were opened yesterday morning at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the process ended around 1.30pm. The deadline for submissions was extended twice—once due to a flurry of questions over the process and then to accommodate the disruption of global courier services due to COVID-19.
Firms were told by Guyana’s Department of Energy (DE) when the call for EOIs was made that they would have to meet specific criteria outlined. These included that they submit their certificate of incorporation, certified true copies of memorandum and articles of association, a company profile showing the company’s capabilities, company tax clearance certificates for the last five years and a copy of the company’s health, safety and environment policy. In addition, they were also required to include their annual turnover over the last five years, code of conduct, details of their volume of crude oil trading and marketing, evidence of verifiable similar services and specific relationships and reference and testimonials for similar work.
It was stated that the companies would be evaluated in accordance with the procedures set out in the submission of a technical expression of interest, evaluation of EOI and creation of a shortlist and that only shortlisted companies would be invited to submit full technical and commercial proposals.
Firms were required to submit two hard copies in a sealed envelope and an electronic non-editable copy on a thumb drive. However, in case of any discrepancy between the hard and the electronic copies, “the hard copy will prevail” the DE had stated in its invitation for EOI.
The bidders are:
