Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company, facing a reduction in oil production and operating below its nominal capacity, has signed a contract to lease a mobile separator unit at a monthly cost of 30 billion tomans. This contract raises serious questions about the necessity of this expense and the contractor selection process.
According to available information, this contract was made by the decision of the CEO of Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company, Hafezi-Nia, along with some technical and operational managers and officials from the production and operations engineering departments. The subject of this contract is the lease of a mobile separator unit for an oil well.
Heavy Cost for Existing Equipment
Critics of this contract believe that under the current circumstances, where Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company is facing production limitations and reduced production quotas, the urgent need to activate a well requiring a mobile separator unit is questionable. The company previously had several separator units, raising the question of why, instead of using existing equipment, the path of leasing a new unit at a monthly cost of 30 billion tomans was chosen.
Some informed sources believe that examining the technical necessity of this contract and comparing it with the company's existing capacities can determine whether this expense aligns with the actual operational needs of the organization.
This is while multiple corruption cases in this company have been repeatedly publicized, leading to worker protests within the company.
Ambiguity in Contractor Selection
Another part of the ambiguities relates to the contracting company. According to available information, this company has no specific background in supplying or operating mobile separator units. It is also said that Nikpay, the manager of this company, previously worked in heavy machinery contracting, including excavators, and the sudden entry of his managed organization into a specialized contract in the field of oil equipment requires clarification regarding technical backgrounds, qualifications, and the selection process.
One of the main points of ambiguity is how this company was selected among other potential options. Critics of this contract are calling for the publication of details of the bidding process, the technical evaluation of companies, the scores obtained by the selected contractor, and the reasons for its superiority over other competitors.
Additionally, some sources consider the close relationship between the CEO of Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company and the contractor's manager as one of the issues that increase the need for a more thorough examination of the contract awarding process. Given the significant amount of this contract and its funding from public resources, clarifying the necessity of the project, the contractor's background, and the contract signing process can prevent further ambiguities. It is expected that regulatory bodies will review the technical and financial documents of this contract to comment on the protection of the company's and public interests.
