MOGE to Name Firms in End 2015 to Develop Myanmar's Offshore Supply Bases

State-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) is expected to appoint firms to develop new offshore supply bases in Myanmar later this year or early next year to support an anticipated increase in upstream activities over the next few years, a company official said Monday.

"We will inform interested parties to submit prosposals in the second week of August and they will be given three months to do so," the company official told Rigzone, adding that MOGE will decide on the selected parties in late 2015 or early 2016.

Fifty one companies, both local and foreign, have expressed interest in developing the new Myanmar supply bases, which are expected to take around 18 to 24 months to build, the official said. 

Local media Myanmar Times reported Friday that interested companies -- from Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the U.K., the U.S. and Vietnam -- may develop the new offshore supply base either individually or in a consortium.

MOGE has not decided on the number or the location of the offshore supply bases so far although Myanmar Times indicated that potential sites include Yangon, Dawei in Tanintharyi Region, Pathein in Ayeyarwady Region, Malawmyine in Mon State and Sittwe or Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State. Myanmar currently has only one offshore supply base facility at Yangon.

"MOGE will decide on the locations ... [possibly in consultations] with foreign [oil and gas field] operators," the official told Rigzone.

According to Myanmar Times, companies interested in developing the new offshore supply bases are required to provide their own land, suggesting that international firms will have to seek local partners for the projects.