Hours before the explosion scandal for the messages in off the record that Matias Kulfas distributed among journalists, the now former minister had responded in ON to Cristina Kirchner’s statements and targeted the officials who, in his opinion, were responsible for designing the tender for the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline and who respond politically to the vice president.
The off-the-record message was distributed on Friday night, hours after the act shared by Cristina Kirchner and Alberto Fernández for the 100 years of YPF, where the vice president criticized the fact that the production of the sheet metal for the pipes destined for the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline remains in the hands of a Techint company in Brazil instead of being produced in one of the plants that Paolo Rocca’s company owns in Argentina.
The Ministry of Production assured in the off that officials of the Integration company Argentine Energy (IEASA), who answer to Cristina Kirchner, were responsible for organize the tender for the assembly of the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline “tailor-made for Techint”.
Before, and in statements on AM750, he had pointed out the responsibility of these officials in the tender, and also his closeness to the vice president, but he made no mention of a “Tender tailored to Techint”, which appears in the off.
In dialogue with white backKulfas noted on Friday after the act: “The Techint thing has to do with the tender. There is an objective that is to produce more pipes in the country and get the most out of it. That is what we are working on. That is established in the way in which the Argentine Energy Integration (IEASA) made the tender”.
And he noted: “It is a company that is run by people who have a very close relationship with the vice president. A few days ago we made a very important announcement, that Argentina is once again producing ship plate. That sheet can perfectly be used to make gas pipelines. In other words, it has to do with the way in which the tender is established and the work is carried out”.
The back room of the “off”
This clarification came in response to the vice president’s speech during last Friday’s event at Tecnópolis, when he asked Alberto Fernández to “Use the pen with those who have to give things to the country.”
“The pen has to be used by Cristina’s officials, which set the conditions to give the construction of the pipes of the Vaca Muerta gas pipeline to Techint. It is the Argentine Energy Integration (IEASA), with officials appointed by it, who make the bids. The ones who didn’t use the pen properly were their IEASA officials,” it is read at the beginning of the message broadcast “off” to different media.
And continues: “They put together a bidding document tailored to Techint and of the sheet metal that the group manufactures in Brazil, 33 mm thick. If instead of putting that specification they had put 31 mm, as are the gas pipelines in Europe, pipes could have been provided from another firm that produces in Villa Constitución (Industrial Laminates SA)”.
IEASA’s response
After the complaint from Productive Development, from IEASA responded: “This topic is strictly normative, as it is established in the NAG-100 (Part C- Section 105). A precondition for proceeding to define the necessary thicknesses is to determine the class of gas pipeline route”.
And they add: “The note lacks technical knowledge and more precisely of the bidding process carried out. Well, for the construction of the Néstor Kirchner Gas Pipeline, the following technical scopes were used: Ø36” API 5L X70M thickness 12.7mm, Ø36” API 5L X 70M thickness 19.1mm and Ø36” API 5L X70M thickness 10.0mm”.
“In this sense, prior to initiating the bidding process, Energía Argentina proceeded to request the Argentine Chamber of Manufacturers of Steel Pipes and Tubes to indicate which companies could meet said technical requirements. The answer was that only SIAT SA complied”, they continued.
And they finished: “Despite this, an international bidding process was carried out to invite foreign companies. There were inquiries made by 6 companies, but then only SIAT SA submitted an offer. The Empresa Laminados Industriales SA is unknown in the field.