The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said 50 companies had submitted bids for the supply of sea worthy tugboats on charter basis, which will be for the maritime operational requirements of the NNPC in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt, Premium Times reported.

According to the national oil company, successful bidders would be engaged on a two-year term contract in the first instance with an option of renewal for an additional year, informed The Sun.

NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, said the winners are expected to provide services which include aiding the berth and un-berth of all ships operating at the NNPC jetties. They are also to provide logistics support for safe ship-to-ship operations, which covers movement of fenders, horses, documents, rigging and unrigging of fenders among other services.

The public bid-opening event, which was held at the Abuja corporate headquarters, was attended by representatives of the bidding companies with officials of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Department of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, and some members of the civil society as observers.