The state-run oil product terminal operator said in a statement on Monday that it plans to purchase 750 million cubic meters of gas per year. The company would prefer to sign a contract for ten years, but it will also consider "other reasonable proposals."
Klaipėdos Nafta plans to start purchasing gas on 1 January 2015, when the LNG terminal is expected to launch operations, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
The procurement notice was published in the Financial Times. 29 October is a deadline for expressing interest.
Klaipėdos Nafta spokeswoman Indrė Milinienė told BNS that potential gas suppliers have until the end of this month to express their interest in taking part in the procurement procedure. She did not say when they will have to submit their proposals.
The spokeswoman says that the company has the right not to announce a call for tenders via the central public procurement portal, which will allow it not to release interim results and the names of potential suppliers.
Klaipėdos Nafta earlier planned to launch an international tender process for LNG supply, but after preliminary talks with potential gas suppliers, which, according to unofficial information, asked not to make their offers public, discussed the possibility of not issuing a call for tenders.
Klaipėdos Nafta CEO Rokas Masiulis said in late August that the list of potential gas suppliers had narrowed down to around five in the final stage of negotiations.
Klaipėdos Nafta has signed letters of intent on LNG supply with Spain's Gas Natural Fenosa and US Cheniere. It has also held talks with Qatargas, the world's biggest LNG producer. According to media reports, it has also discussed gas supplies with British Petroleum, Shell, and other companies.
The terminal is expected to be operational by the end of 2014.
