British
Gas in negotiations to enter $400m israel natural-gas pipeline tender
By TAL MUSCAL
Jerusalem Post
July 24, 2002
British Gas International officially told the Infrastructure Ministry
yesterday that it is in negotiations with the consortium bidding
on the
natural-gas pipeline. The consortium is composed of Paz Oil Co.,
Pazgas,
Africa Israel Investments and Scorpio Communications. The project
is worth an estimated $400 million.
The National Infrastructure Ministry's tender committee is scheduled
to meet
this morning to discuss developments in the tender process.
British Gas, which last week withdrew from the negotiating table
with the
Israeli consortium and the government, told the tender committee
that its
entry into the group could occur without amending the Natural Gas
Law.
British Gas had requested special decision-making rights in the
project, as
a condition of its participation. According to the Israeli companies
vying
for the tender, British Gas will hold a 26 percent stake in the
project, if
negotiations are fruitful
"Negotiations with British Gas began two days ago, and its
board of
directors has yet to approve the entrance into our consortium. We
are
optimistic, but at this time there is an Israeli consortium and
foreign
company interested in joining," an unnamed executive of one
of the
consortium partners told The Jerusalem Post.
Executives at British Gas's Herzliya offices were tight-lipped
last night,
refusing to discuss the ongoing negotiations.
According to the tender guidelines an international consortium
chosen to
build and operate the system will receive a 30-year concession.
At first the
pipeline will serve only state-owned Israel Electric and in the
future will
support other Israeli natural-gas distributors.
Industry analysts claim that British Gas's inclusion in the project
will
allow the government to award the project to the Paz Africa Israel
group,
the sole consortium to bid in the complicated venture.
British Gas entered into negotiations with the consortium after
Tractebel, a
subsidiary of energy giant Suez Lyonnaise SA pulled out of the venture
in
June, citing the volatile security environment in Israel.
In the absence of a key foreign partner, as stipulated by the tender
guidelines, government officials were left with two choices, either
voiding
the tender and giving the project to a state-owned company, or allowing
Israeli natural-gas providers to build the pipeline. The latter
option would
go against the Natural Gas Law.
Under the legislation, approved last December, fair competition
is provided,
prohibiting the financing and operation of the pipeline by suppliers
of
natural gas to Israel Electric or by government companies.
On Sunday, Paz and its partners criticized Prime Minister's Office
director-general Avigdor Yitzhaki's decision to invite Yam Thetis,
a future supplier of natural gas to Israel Electric, into talks
with the government over the pipeline project.
The Paz Africa Israel group pledged to complete construction of
the project by December 2003, and warned that the transfer of the
project to third-party hands, including Yam Thetis, would harm the
consortium and erase large sums spent on design and development
projects.
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