Colombia sets bidding timetable for US$700mn Pacific LNG works

Colombia will award a contract for its long-awaited Pacific LNG project in the first half of next year, according to definitive bidding documents published by the mines and energy ministry. 

Interested parties have until March 3 to present technical and economic bids, with envelopes scheduled to be opened on March 21 and 24. 

An April 11 deadline has been set for the counteroffer stage, the results of which are slated for publication on April 26 (technical proposals) and May 3 (economic bids). 

Contracts are due to be signed on May 8. 

The terms of reference call for offers to develop and operate a 200,000m3-capacity LNG storage and regasification facility at the Pacific port of Buenaventura. 

The winner will also be responsible for building a 120km pipeline to transport up to 400Mf3/d (million cubic feet per day) to Yumbo, on the northern outskirts of Cali.

An initial tender process for the project, which is expected to require investment of around US$700mn, was aborted last year due to tepid investor interest. 

Energy ministry planning unit UPME has now made the contract guidelines more attractive to potential developers.

Changes include mechanisms to encourage "open and competitive" bidding, modifications to rules related to the remuneration of service providers and new obligations during the construction phase, among other changes. 

UPME has set a construction deadline of 58 months after the contract is awarded. 

Among the companies to submit comments and questions in a consultation process for the latest tender include Spain's Fisterra Energy, Vidal Echeverry, TGI, Promigas, Canacol, Termoemcali, Worley and Energica.

Bidding documents can be seen here and here