Brazil's Transpetro, the logistics subsidiary of state-run oil firm Petrobras, is set to relaunch a tender for building barges after low interest in a May bidding process, Transpetro Chief Executive Sergio Bacci said on Tuesday.
In May the firm put up the tender for the four barges intended for fuel transportation operations, four push boats and one tug boat, but only one shipbuilder put up bids, at a price point considered too high by Transpetro, said Bacci.
Now the idea is to relaunch the tender including a total of 20 barges, which could make it more attractive to builders, said Bacci on the sidelines of an event in Rio de Janeiro.
"We're finalizing the process," said Bacci. "We should release the bidding for the barges in September."
In the May announcement, the firm had said it planned to commission 20 barges, 20 push boats and four tug boats by the end of 2026. Bacci did not make clear whether the new tender would also include the remaining push boats and tug boats the firm aims to procure.
At the time, Bacci said the new barges would allow Transpetro to become a leading operator for transportation of oil, derivatives and biofuels in Brazil.
(Reuters - Reporting by Fabio Teixeira)