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[ariane] 14/2/2006 14:16

AMEC, Raytheon, Halliburton's KBR shortlisted for UK naval contract

LONDON (AFX) - The UK Ministry of Defence said it has named AMEC PLC,
Raytheon Co and Halliburton Co's KBR unit to take part in the next stage of a
project to provide a new fleet of naval support vessels.
"The MARS vessels we intend to procure will provide fuel, food and stores to
units afloat and a new seabasing facility to support forces ashore," the MoD
said in a statement.
"In due course we expect one of these companies will be selected as the
integrator for this project, and will work with the MoD to select the best
delivery team to produce the ships."

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nes

[waldron] 13/3/2005 09:40

Nuclear giants team up to bid for UK reactor-building programme
By Tim Webb and Clayton Hirst
13 March 2005


Some of the world's leading nuclear companies are lining up UK partners to prepare bids for an £8bn reactor-building programme, which is expected to be announced after the election.

The Government has signalled that it will publish a new energy White Paper which, controversially, is expected to propose the construction of new nuclear reactors to replace those now being taken out of service.

Leading nuclear and construction companies, including French nuclear giant Areva, UK construction company Amec and Westinghouse, the US arm of the state-owned BNFL, are already looking for potential partners ahead of any government move.

Talks are at a preliminary stage. But the rising levels of corporate activity indicate companies are eager to invest in the UK nuclear industry once the Government signals that nuclear is back on its agenda.

The news comes as the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority prepares to take over the UK Government's £48bn of nuclear liabilities - mostly belonging to loss-making BNFL - on 1 April. But a European Commission investigation means that BNFL's liabilities, including its ageing reactors and Sellafield reprocessing site, will remain on its balance sheet until Brussels has decided whether the NDA breaks state-aid rules.

The Government last reviewed energy policy two years ago, when it favoured renewable energy sources such as wind over nuclear. This is changing as fears grow of a looming energy shortage. Some environmentalists are also backing nuclear power because it does not emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

The Government has indicated that it would put out to tender any contract to design, build, finance and operate a nuclear construction programme to competing consortia. Several companies would be needed to carry out the work. Westinghouse, which is close to Whitehall as it is part of BNFL, said that a successful consortium would have to include at least one UK-based company.

The winning consortium would be responsible for building as many as 10 reactors, at a cost of around £800m each.

A spokesman for Amec said: "We would be stupid if we were not making preparations. We are looking at who are the right people. It will probably be a consortium of three plus."

Amec has not yet held formal talks with other companies, but it is understood to be considering linking up with Westinghouse and US construction and engineering companies Bechtel and Kellogg Brown & Root, which is owned by Halliburton.

Areva designs and builds reactors, as well as providing services such as fuel manufacturing and reprocessing. Industry sources said that it was also keen to scoop a slice of any new nuclear action. A spokesman for Areva said: "If the UK government decides to build new reactors, Areva will offer our services to UK utilities."

A spokesman from the Department of Trade and Industry said: "In formal terms, our position hasn't changed from the Energy White Paper: At present, the economics don't stack up for new nuclear build. In addition, there are the problems of waste."

[ariane] 12/11/2004 09:27

OSLO (AFX) - Siem Offshore Ltd said its joint venture with Halliburton Co,
Subsea 7 has won a contract which exceeds 20 mln usd from BP PLC for subsea
works west of the Shetland Islands.
The contract, effective immediately, is for underwater construction,
inspection, repair and maintenance operations for BP's Schiehallion, Loyal and
Foinaven fields, located 150 kilometers west of the Shetland Islands.
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bb/jfr

[maywillow] 29/10/2004 06:39

WASHINGTON (AFX) - The FBI has asked to interview an army contracting
official about a no-bid contract to restore Iraqi oil that was awarded to a
subsidiary of Halliburton Co, her lawyer said Thursday.
Bunnatine Greenhouse, the top civilian contracting official of the US Army
Corps of Engineers, earlier this week accused the corps' leaders of interfering
on behalf of Halliburon in awards of bILlion-dollar no-bid contracts in Iraq and
the Balkans.
Michael Kohn, Greenhouse's lawyer, told Agence France-Presse that the FBI
has sought to interview her.
"We anticipate that she will be interviewed and we hope that the government
will provide her with appropriate protection, whistle blower protection, from
retaliation," he said.
Kohn said the FBI is "requesting to interview her concerning the RIO
contract."
He was referring to the so-called "Restore Iraqi Oil" contract, a no-bid
contract worth up to 7 bln usd that was secretly awarded to Halliburton
subsidiary Kellog Brown and Root before the Iraq war.
Greenhouse's allegations were made in an Oct 21 letter to Army Secretary Les
Brownlee who referred the matter to the Pentagon's inspector general.
In the letter, Greenhouse's lawyers argue that she "experienced repeated
interference with her role as" the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) principal
assistant responsible for contracting and its "competition advocate."
"This interference was largely focused on multi-billion-dollar contract
issues pertaining to a Halliburton subsidiary, Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR)," it
said.
It said "employees of the US government have taken improper action that
favored KBR's interests. This conduct has violated specific regulations and
calls into question the independence of the USACE federal procurement process."
Greenhouse clashed with her superiors at the Corps of Engineers when she
raised concerns about their justifications for awarding Halliburton no-bid
contracts first five year contract to restore Iraq's oil industry, and later on
an extension of its 2 bln usd contract to house and feed US troops in the
Balkans, which was worth 165 mln usd to KBR.
The letter alleges that corps leaders shut her out of the approval process
by having waivers of the contracting rules signed without her knowledge by
military officers in her office.
jm/gs/tr