Selection process for Oando was inconclusive – GNPC
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) says even though Oando was involved in a selection process when it was looking for a company to partner it (GNPC) to develop Ghana’s gas infrastructure, the selection process was inconclusive and no contract has been awarded to Oando.
Responding to questions on the matter, the Project Coordinator for GNPC’s gas infrastructure, Mr. Victor Sunu-Attah told ghanabusinessnews.com Monday November 1, 2010 that Nigerian oil and gas company Oando Plc was indeed, part of a selection process that was inconclusive, and no contract has been awarded the company to partner the GNPC to develop the country’s gas infrastructure estimated to cost about $1 billion over the long term.
He also said Oando did not meet the requirements for the project.
Mr. Sunu-Attah told ghanabusinessnews.com that a small part of that project is what has been contracted to French engineering and subsea oil company Technip. The company is to construct and install a 14-km 12 inch pipe deepwater for the country’s gas infrastructure, which is yet to be constructed.
Meanwhile, Oando has issued a rejoinder in the form of a press statement to an earlier story on ghanabusinessnews.com insisting it has been selected to partner the GNPC to develop Ghana’s gas infrastructure.
In the press statement issued Saturday October 30, 2010 by Odion Jude Aleobua of Oando’s Corporate Communications unit and copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, the company said:
Our attention has been drawn to a publication in the Ghana Business News which quoted Mr. Victor Sunu-Atta, an official of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), as saying GNPC never selected Oando to develop Ghana’s gas infrastructure.
We affirm that this assertion is false as Oando-SAIPEM consortium was duly selected by GNPC as a strategic partner to jointly develop the gas infrastructure project.
This selection was communicated to us via a letter dated 1st September, 2009 and signed by Mr. Thomas Manu, Director of Operations on behalf of the Managing Director of GNPC.
As is typical with a development of this scale, we are currently engaging with parties to ensure an appropriate commercial, technical and transaction structure that best delivers the anticipated value of the investment.
But ghanabusinessnews.com can report emphatically that Oando is not involved in developing Ghana’s infrastructure as has been told by Mr. Sunu-Attah, the man in charge of GNPC’s gas infrastructure.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi