State pipeline agency Botas has prequalified 60 international and local firms for at least one of four contracts to build a total of 1,285 kilometres of gas pipeline. The bid closing date is 2 March.

The four contracts, with the number of firms invited to bid, are:

Erzurum-Sivas - 36 companies are prequalified to build this 260-kilometre stretch of 48-inch pipeline

Sivas-Kayseri - 38 companies are prequalified to build 260 kilometres of 48-inch pipeline

Kayseri-Ankara - 43 companies are prequalified to build this 320-kilometre stretch of 40-inch pipeline

Kayseri-Konya-Seydisehir - 48 firms have been invited for this project which comprises a 270-kilometre stretch of 40-inch pipeline and a 110- kilometre stretch of 16-inch pipeline

Twelve foreign firms are among those prequalified. They include: France's SAE International; Japan's Nissho Iwai Corporation; the US' Unocal Corporation; France's Spie Capag; the UK's John Laing International; Skodaexport of the Czech Republic; Germany's Mannesmann Demag and Georgia's Igi Indo Georgia. The bid bond is $5 million for each project.

The new pipelines will link up with the 48-inch pipeline between Dogubeyazit and Erzurum. A contract for this project was awarded to a local venture of STFA Enerkom and Fernas last year (MEED 11:4:97).

The pipeline was originally designed to import Iranian natural gas under a $18,000 million agreement reached in August 1996. However, on its completion in 2000 it will transport Turkmen gas until Iran has insufficient gas supplies to begin exports (MEED 9:1:98).