Delay in bidding process stops flow of Iraq oil into Kingdom

Fuel supplies from Iraq to Jordan have been disrupted since the beginning of this month due to delays in choosing a new carrier after a previous transport contract expired at the end of July.   A decision to award a tender to a local company “is yet to be taken, most probably within two weeks”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, quoting a government official.    There has been some delay in the tender process. So far, two companies have qualified on the basis of the technical terms and conditions, but the financial bid is still to be examined in order for the tender department to determine the winner. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Spokesperson Fayez Abu Qaoud said the financial bids have been referred to the technical committee to study them. After that, they will be submitted to the tender department to announce the qualifying bidder, who is expected to bring in 10,000 barrels of Iraqi oil a day into the Kingdom. Last year, Jordan only managed to import 300,000 tonnes of 500,000 tonnes agreed on between the two countries because of different hurdles. Therefore, the ministry this year included new conditions in the tender to guarantee financial soundness and the ability to check the quality of the imported oil. Iraqi oil, imported at a preferential price, covers 10 per cent of the country’s daily needs. Jordan also imports around 10,000 tonnes of heavy fuel from neighbouring Iraq, at a preferential price, which is $88 less per tonne than market prices.  From jordantimes