In order to speed up the progress of the work, the government launched the tender and also concluded direct contracts. The details
The official start of the tender for the reversal of the north pipeline—an important energy work aimed at replacing the gas that Bolivia will no longer supply with greater local production from Vaca Muerta—began with a surprise government move.
In order to shorten the deadlines for opening the bids before the October 22 elections and for awarding the engineering works in the weeks before the change of command at the Casa Rosada, the state-owned company Enarsa has decided to purchase pipes and tubes directly from Siat-Tenaris, the Techint Group company.
Almost at the same time as the tender for the detailed design and construction of the works, and with the approval of the energy authorities, Enarsa confirmed the previous acquisition of the pipes from the local subsidiary of the holding company led by Paolo Rocca for an amount that would vary between 200 and 250 million US dollars.
This way, Let It Be Tenaris once again plays the relevant role it had achieved in the first phase of the President Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline (GPNK), where it was the sole supplier of the almost 600 kilometers of tubes used on the Tratayén to Saliquelló route.
As in the case of the GPNK, the supply of the steel sheets for the local manufacture of the tubes will be the responsibility of the Brazilian supplier Confab, belonging to the same Techint Group.
The current tender, launched in Córdoba during the election campaign by Sergio Massa, Minister of Economy and presidential candidate of the Unión por la Patria (UP), is about “the award of contracts under the EPC modality of detailed engineering”. including services, supplies, and construction of the sub-works of the project “Reversión del Gasoducto Norte”.
What is the Nord gas pipeline about?
It is a key energy work The aim is to replace the gas that Bolivia will no longer supply with a larger local production of Vaca Muerta, which will ensure the supply of residential and industrial customers in the NOA provinces from next winter.
Technically, it consists of reversing the current direction of circulation of the North Gas Pipeline to replace the supplies that Bolivia will interrupt with greater domestic production from the Neuquén Basin.
The planned works include a new gas pipeline 122 kilometers between Tío Pujio and La Carlota with 36-inch pipes that will connect the long-distance transport systems of TGS and TGN. A 62 km loop parallel to the Northern Gas Pipeline using 30 inch pipes and reversing the injection direction of the conversion plants at Ferreyra and Dean Funes (Córdoba), Lavalle (Santiago del Estero) and Lumbreras (Salta).
Once the first phase of the project is complete – with permitting planned for early winter 2024 – approximately 19 million cubic meters per day (MMm3/day) of gas can be transported from the Vaca Muerta wells to the northern provinces. In the second stage of reversal, the additional transport capacity can be increased to 29 million m3 per day.
How the work on the North gas pipeline is financed
He The total cost of the work is $712 millionwhich has a US$540 million loan from the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) at its disposal, with the remainder being financed by a government contribution.
To cover the remaining $172 million to complete the financing, the Minister of Energy, led by Flavia Royón, decided to use part of the funds accumulated in a special Cammesa account set up for the expansion of power lines became.
After the inauguration of the Kirchner pipeline, the government is speeding up times in the northern pipeline.
The Energy Sector ordered that Cammesa give Enarsa – who is in charge of bidding and paying for work on the northern gas pipeline – a “repayable loan” for the amount missing to contribute to any turnaround work on the northern gas pipeline.
From an economic and accounting point of view, Royón Cammesa “managed” to withdraw the funds deposited in the “MEM Stabilization Fund Export Account” from the proceeds of electricity exports to Brazil and transfer them to the FONDESGA (Argentine Gas Development Fund), trusting that Enarsa the expansion of the gas pipeline network managed.
The official data and figures indicate that the reversal of the north gas pipeline will lead to electricity 3,000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs and once complete, will enable annual import substitution savings of $1,960 million. In addition, officials say, the country would benefit from a drop in the cost of power generation and natural gas for industry in the NOA, as well as an increase in gas exports to Chile, Bolivia and central Brazil.
The presentation of the bids was scheduled for September 29th and the official intention is to award the works in the days leading up to the national elections on October 22nd.
Companies that have already expressed interest in taking on the engineering and ancillary works for the North Gas Pipeline include: Techint, Sacde (Marcelo Mindlin’s construction company and the general managers of Pampa Energía), Contreras Hermanos, BTU and Esuco.
The GPNK factory package winners were joined by group builders Roggio, Vial Agro, Panedile, Losi, Pietroboni and Rovella Carranza, and Nequina CN Sapag.
