EPCM Contract Bid for Adani Welspun's Offshore Gas Development

The bidding process for a major engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for Adani Welspun Exploration's integrated gas development project offshore India's west coast has accelerated. The project involves the integrated development of three blocks—MB-OSN-2005/2 (MB), MB/OSDSF/B9/2016 (B9), and MB/OSDSF/2024 (C37)—located in the Tapti-Daman sector of the Mumbai Offshore basin, an area known for significant gas discoveries.

Adani Welspun Exploration is a joint venture between India's Adani Group and Welspun Group. Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani Group, holds a 65% stake, while Welspun Enterprises, through its subsidiary Welspun Natural Resources, holds the remaining 35%. The operator initiated the bid process earlier this year, with UK-based companies 2H Offshore and Aquaterra Energy identified as key contenders. Other potential bidders could not be confirmed.

The EPCM tender is structured in two phases. The first phase focuses on developing the MBA nodal platform, which will be tied to four gas production wells. This phase also includes approximately 30 kilometers of subsea trunklines and an onshore central control center. First gas from this initial phase is expected by the fourth quarter of the 2028-2029 financial year. The second phase involves constructing at least three wellhead platforms—MBB, B9, and C37—connected to 11 or 12 offshore wells, along with associated subsea intra-field pipelines. This phase is anticipated to come on stream during the first quarter of the 2031-2032 financial year.

The integrated development plan envisions all three blocks being developed through a unified facilities concept. This includes four offshore unmanned wellhead platforms, with subsea pipelines transporting well fluids from platforms in blocks B9 and C37 to the nodal platform in Block MB. The MBA nodal platform will transfer well fluids to a nearby third-party processing facility via another subsea multiphase pipeline. The total gas flow rate from the MBA nodal platform to this third-party facility is 200 million cubic feet per day, though the precise overall gas production target for the integrated development remains unconfirmed.

Welspun Enterprises' managing director, Sandeep Garg, stated that the joint venture aims to begin gas production from the Tapti-Daman sector project by 2028. He noted that the gas initially in place is 0.75 trillion cubic feet, and plans have been submitted to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) for approval. The EPCM workscope includes detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, assembly, inspection, transportation, installation, and commissioning of offshore structures. No formal award announcement has been made, and the timeline for the project's award remains unclear.