BPC invites int’l tender for SPM operation

CHATTOGRAM, June 11: Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is going to appoint a contractor for operations and maintenance (O&M) of the country's Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility with double pipeline.

The procedures of the tender are continuing now. BPC invited international tender in this regard on 30 April to appoint the contractor for the system's operation and maintenance (O&M) and tender papers are being sold now.

Sources said an international tender to appoint an O&M contractor for the SPM has been floated. BPC will appoint the contractor for 40 months.

The selected contractor will also be required to train BPC staff to eventually take over operations, reducing long-term dependency on foreign expertise.

According to the tender, interested bidders must buy documents by June 18, 2025. The deadline for submitting those is June 19, 2025.

Sources said all works of the SMP were completed in March last year, but operations of the facility will be delayed until the end of the current year as the government is not giving the contract to the Chinese company China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company Limited (CPPEC) and decided to appoint O&M contractors through the open tender method (OTM) instead of the government-to-government (G2G) basis.

So, despite the works of the SPM having already been completed, the operations will be delayed due to the delay in appointing O&M contractors through OTM.

Sources said appointment of the contractor will be completed at the end of the current year. As a result, the operation of the project is expected to begin the next year.

Earlier, the government decided to sign an agreement with the operator CPPEC for the management of the SPM.

Later, the decision to award the contract for the O&M of the SPM with a double pipeline project to the CPPEC has been cancelled.

Earlier, the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs (ACCEA) had approved a proposal from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the implementing agency of the SPM project, to sign the O&M contract with the Chinese company during its meeting on November 21, 2024.

But, during a meeting of the ACCEA held at the Cabinet Division conference room with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, it was decided to appoint the O&M contractor through the OTM on January 2 in the current year. So, BPC has directed to invite tenders through the OTM. Meanwhile, BPC has formed a committee to prepare tender documents after the meeting.

Meanwhile, BPC has constituted a separate company for maintenance and operations of petroleum pipelines.

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