Mobil, NAPIMS battle each other over pipeline contract

The Mobil Producing Nigeria and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), are locked in a fight over the award of a gas pipeline contract worth over $250 million in Nigeria.

The contract is for laying of gas export subsea line from Oso Riser Platform to Mobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal, Ibeno.

It was awarded to West African Ventures Ltd in 2014, but cancelled recently because of the company’s inability to begin work on it after four years.

The two organisations in contest now a putting forward different contractors for the re-award of the project.

NAPIMS favours Nigerstar7 while Mobil’s officials root for Saipem.

Both contractors participated in the 2012 bid for the pipeline contract which they lost to West African Ventures.

In the bidding, NigerStar7 was the second lowest bidder, and Saipem, third, in NAPIMS’ evaluation, while Saipem was second, and NigerStar7, third, in Mobil’s evaluation.

No official statement from any of the four organisations involved so far.