The state-owned Ukrgazvydobuvannya has announced a tender for the purchase of the same pipes for natural gas production for the third time just to prevent an unwanted American company from winning. This was stated by energy expert Yuriy Korolchuk on his Facebook page , UNN reports.
On May 16, Ukrgasvydobuvannya announced another (third!) tender for the purchase of casing pipes with a diameter of 244 mm - tender 24T-222, as it failed to select the winner the first and second time
According to the expert, in August 2023, Ukrgasvydobuvannya announced tender 24T-004 for the purchase of casing pipes with a diameter of 244.48 mm with a budget of almost UAH 2.3 billion. According to Korolchuk, Ukrgasvydobuvannya canceled the tender due to its unwillingness to enter into an agreement with the American company Vorex.
"Vorex filed a complaint with the AMCU against Ukrgasvydobuvannya's decision to cancel the procurement, and the AMCU ordered Ukrgasvydobuvannya to cancel its illegal decision to cancel the tender. However, Ukrgasvydobuvannya did not give up and stubbornly violated all possible principles of law and the contractual basis of the supplier-buyer relationship. Ukrgasvydobuvannya appealed the AMCU's decision to the Kyiv District Administrative Court. However, the court dismissed Ukrgasvydobuvannya's claim against the AMCU. The circle has closed. Thus, both the AMCU and the Kyiv District Administrative Court confirmed the unlawfulness of Ukrgasvydobuvannya's actions," Yuriy Korolchuk recalls the history of the events.
The expert recalls that after attempts to hold tender 24T-004, Ukrgasvydobuvannya announced four new tenders for the purchase of the same casing, but with reduced requirements for testing of coupling gas metering threaded connections (from CAL4 to CAL2) and reduced delivery time.
"This is what indicates that such tenders can only be in the interests of a supplier who already has such a pipe in stock. It just happened that the pipe was lying around and Ukrgasvydobuvannya wanted to buy it," Korolchuk said ironically.
"In early April, Vorex appealed to the court against the appointment of four public tenders - 24T-093, 24T-094, 24T-095, 24T-096. And a great miracle happened - the court sided with the law and did not allow Ukrgasvydobuvannya to sign any contracts based on the results of the illegally held second procurement for casing pipes that were to be purchased under tender 24T-004, where the "wrong people" won," the expert notes.
After that, according to Korolchuk, Ukrgasvydobuvannya decided to try to hold another - third - tender for the purchase of the same pipes, but with significantly reduced delivery time.
"Ukrgasvydobuvannya has announced another (already the third!) tender for the purchase of the same casing pipes - tender 24T-222, but now it has specified delivery time not 120-180 days, but only 60. Once again, this requirement was written exclusively for a bidder who already has this pipe in stock. And Ukrgasvydobuvannya is doing all this instead of simply complying with the law, resuming tender 24T-004 and stopping playing hide and seek. Moreover, it is Ukrgasvydobuvannya that constantly points out the urgent need for a 244 mm diameter casing pipe. If this pipe is so necessary, why not comply with the law, the AMCU decision and the court decision?" - Yuriy Korolchuk asks.