Industry sources suggested the withdrawals were due to contractors re-appraising their bid portfolios and further delays on the project, which was first formulated back in 1993 by PanOcean Energy (then Ocelot) and a Tanzanian outfit.
Completed bid documents are now due to land on the desk of operator Songas in late June, with contract award expected in August.
This is some 10 months behind the schedule planned a year ago, which suggests that first gas will now be delayed to the first quarter of 2004 from the initial mid-2003 target, given an 18-month construction and delivery schedule.
Clough
