Kenya starts Search for Design Contractor for its $2 billion Crude Oil Pipeline

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has invited eight bids from firms hoping to undertake the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for the planned 892 kilometer crude oil pipeline between South Lokichar oil fields in Turkana and Lamu port.

According to principal secretary in charge of the state department on petroleum Andrew Kamau the eight companies were selected from a pool of engineering firms who submitted applications to be prequalified for the pipeline design after the ministry sent out an expression of interest in 2016.

The FEED will include a study on the design of the pipeline the route, basic engineering and will also formulate basic technical requirements as well as inform technical requirements and the investments needed to put up the pipeline.

Once the bids are submitted Kamau expects the contract will be awarded by end of April with the actual work expected to complete by January 2019.

Once the design has been submitted it is expected that the construction of the pipeline will commence in 2019 and take two years to complete.