Petrobras received this week offers for their PSV 4500 bid, a vessel that will be deployed in the Roncador field (75% Petrobras, 25% Equinor), in what was a very peculiar tendering process. The opportunity, initially released as a public tender, was later cancelled and re-opened as a “SEP” (an invitational tendering process with a pre-approved bidderS list). The intention is to replicate the pattern the Brazilian oil major had adopted for contracting processes in other assets owned by a Consortium (JV) and not just Petrobras, such as the PSV tender for Mero from 2 years ago. Interestingly enough, this time and for the first time, Petrobras opted to have their well-known reverse auction from public tenders implemented into a SEP, although no information was revealed at its closure. Petrobras aims to hire one PSV 4500 Multipurpose (Lot 1), which means any other lot will only be entertained should Petrobras fail to award a suitable candidate from Lot 1. The reverse auction itself was not different from other recent ones, where low vessel availability and a heated market drove daily rates to higher levels, or rather, stopped bidders from lowering too much… four undisclosed Bidders offered 1 vessel each, with the first placed at USD 34.282,00. If you wish to know more about participants and other tender details, please contact WSB.
