Tender: Development of Argentina's central Natural Gas Transportation System
The purpose of this bid is to award a LICENSE for the provision of natural gas transportation services through a system known as “Central Natural Gas Transportation System”.
The Central Natural Gas Transportation System project entails the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of a high‐pressure gas pipeline, as well as the supply of related goods and services, which is to connect a point in the vicinity of Transportadora de Gas del Sur’s (TGS) conditioning plant at Tratayén, Province of Neuquén, to Transportadora de Gas del Norte S.A.’s (TGN) transportation system at a point near the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Province of Buenos Aires, passing
through the Saturno compressor facility over the Neuba II Gas Pipeline of TGS’ transportation system in the vicinity of the city of Salliqueló, Province of Buenos Aires.
The awardee (Licensee) is to carry out all activities necessary for the construction of the natural gas Receiving and Delivery Points, for which purpose it must agree with TGS and TGN on the final location of each point, the technical aspects related to their connection and the time to make each connection. To this end, the Licensee must follow the connection procedures agreed with those companies.
The pipeline to be designed, built and operated must have the capacity to transport an initial flow of 15 MMm3 per day of 9,300 kcal/ m3 natural gas since its Commercial Operations Date (COD). It will be designed and built in such a way that, by means of successive compression extensions to be carried out over time, it will have capacity to transport a flow of 40 MMm3 per day of 9,300 kcal/m3 natural gas.
The licensee's responsibility for the design and construction of the Transportation System, and the supply of related goods and services, extends to all works, facilities and equipment necessary for its proper operation and maintenance. Furthermore, the licensee will be responsible for obtaining any permit, consent, license or other authorization required to build any works, facilities and equipment necessary for the proper operation and maintenance of the Transportation System in compliance with
all applicable safety standards and regulations.
The Licensee will be required to obtain any easements or right of way necessary to carry out the works and fulfill its obligations under the License, in accordance with the procedures and requirements established by the Gas Authority (ENARGAS) and set forth in the applicable rules.
The Licensee will be solely responsible for defining the specific layout of the pipeline. Any proposed layout must be geo‐referenced. From the starting point, it must comply with the current transportation system’s Geographic Information protocol.
The pipeline will feature all relevant line block valves, internal inspection tool receiving and launch traps, cathodic protection systems, fiscal metering systems at all pipeline receiving and delivery points, SCADA control and monitoring security systems, communications systems, and any other supplementary facilities necessary, in strict compliance with applicable regulations.
Project phases
The pipeline will be built in two stages, as described below:
STAGE 1: TRATAYEN‐ SALLIQUELO
Mandatory Investments ‐ Stage 1
1. Approximate reference length: 570 km
2. Minimum diameter required: 914.4 mm (36 inches)
3. Minimum design pressure: 95 bar
4. Minimum initial transportation capacity: 15 MM m3/day of 9,300 kcal/m3 natural gas
5. Minimum future transportation capacity: 40 MM m3/day of 9,300 kcal/m3 natural gas
6. Power to be installed in Stage 1: necessary power to meet required design goals
7. Specifications of the gas to be transported: as established in ENARGAS resolution 259/08, as amended, and the regulations approved by the Regulatory Authority
Commercial Operations Date: The project must be ready to provide the Licensed Service no later than eighteen (18) months after the granting of the license. Initial commissioning is to take place without Compression Plants, whereas full commissioning is to be carried out with Compression Plants within twenty four (24) months, except in case of exceptional circumstances warranting an extension of said term, at the discretion of the Regulatory Authority.
PHASE 2: SALLIQUELÓ ‐ SAN NICOLÁS
Mandatory Investments ‐ Stage 2
1. Approximate reference length: 470 km
2. Minimum diameter required: 762 mm (30 inches)
3. Minimum design pressure: 95 bar
4. Final transportation capacity: 20 MM m3/day of 9300 Kcal/m3 natural gas
5. Power to be installed: necessary power to meet required design goals
6. Specifications of the gas to be transported: as established in ENARGAS resolution 259/08, as amended, and the regulations approved by the Regulatory Authority
Commercial Operations Date: The project must be ready to provide the Licensed Service no later than sixty (60) months after the granting of the license, except in case of exceptional circumstances warranting an extension of said term, at the request of the Licensee and at the discretion of the Regulatory Authority. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of paragraph 5.1 of the Basic License Rules on Mandatory Investments ‐ Stage 2 will apply.
