ONGC says it ensures meeting of safety conditions before hiring vessels

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)'s operations are widespread in Western Offshore in the Arabian Sea and it requires many services for exploration and production activities, they added.

ONGC said it has recently floated a tender to hire one tanker for its operations offshore for transporting HFHSD (High Flash High-Speed Diesel) from Indian ports. The fuel to be shipped is required by the installations of ONGC for smooth operations to explore and produce crude oil and natural gas, it added.

"As per tender provisions, all certificates needed to establish technical suitability of offered tanker for intended purpose and ownership are required to be submitted along with the bid," said an ONGC official.

Certain certificates like classification have defined validity as per rules of issuing authority/agency and require to be periodically renewed by taking up due inspections, fee payments etc, said the company release adding that tender provisions require such certificates/documentation for the vessel to be produced at the time of “Third Party Inspection” before deployment.

The ONGC official said, "Verifying these certificates at the time of bid submission would require bidders to keep such certificates valid at all time, irrespective of their winning the contract. Such provision may result in restricting competitiveness in the tender."

The company added it confirms that all the required certificates, including insurance, are in place and valid before deployment of any vessel/ship/tanker, as the deployment of tanker/vessel is made after stringent Third Party Inspection, to make certain of its sea stature, the safety of the tanker/vessel and the crew.

Submission of these certificates before deployment of tanker/vessel poses no risk, it said.