Vaca Muerta gas pipeline: the Government has signed the contract with Techint for the supply of the pipes

The government took the first step in building the tubing which will connect Vaca Muerta with Buenos Aires. Energía Argentina, the state company that is carrying out the project, has signed the contract for the supply of the pipes and their complementary works. Now, It remains for him to tackle the civil works.

Siat, of the Techint group, was the sole bidder in the tender, of an estimated contract a $ 600 million. The company needs to bring sheets from Brazil and for this they need an import authorization. Although not detailed in the declaration, artIt is estimated that the advance payment for this operation and the payment methods have already been agreed.

“This reflects the enormous effort and dedication we put into the project so that it can be in operational condition in accordance with the timeline construction tender. to express Agostino Gerezpresident of Energía Argentina in a statement.

Energía Argentina launched this competition on February 23, just one day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tenaris submitted its offer – the only one – on March 31 and was selected on April 27.

It seemed that everything was on track until Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner scolded President Alberto Fernández for having to “use the pen” for what Techint brings a production line to the country of dishes owned by a company of that group in Brazil.

The tubes for Vaca Muerta will be 36-inch welded tubes that Tenaris will manufacture in Valentín Alsina. The imported sheet will come from Brazil, supplied by Usiminas, of which Techint owns 20% of the shares.

“They were present at the signing Dario MartinezEnergy Secretary; Frederic Basualdo, Undersecretary for Electricity; Maggie VidelaUndersecretary for Hydrocarbons, and Argentina for Energy, Agostino Gerezpresident of the company, Gastón Leydet, deputy general manager and the directors Víctor Bronstein and Mariano Barrera “, informed Energía Argentina.

Siat will produce the tubes from imported sheet metal from Brazil produced in Usiminas, which is managed by the partner Techint Nippon Steel.

The 36-inch pipes were questioned by the former Minister of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas. Called to testify, the former official and Antonio Pronsato (who participated in the races), as well as other expertsexcluded that the choice of 36-inch pipes was due to suspicions of corruption, but rather that it met the technical characteristics of the pipeline, approved by specialists.

“There is no marketor for a rolling mill for thick plates “, as Techint understands, in relation to the statement of the vice president.

The laminated sheet is often processed to form pipes used in large gas pipelines such as the Vaca Muerta pipeline, but also in the marine and renewables industries.

The signed contract consists of the purchase of 582 km of 36-inch pipes in diameter and 74 km of 30-inch pipeswhich will be used for the first phase of the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline between Treatyén (Neuquén) and Saliquelló (Buenos Aires) and for his complementary works.

“The President Néstor Kirchner pipeline will enable our country’s residential, commercial and industrial sectors to access to energy at competitive priceswhich due to the international situation has become a critical input, thus increasing employment and production ”, explained Gerez.

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