Dan Stein, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009

B -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE PROJECT POC POC Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009 Further to the announcement published on November 16, 1998 (I-320 SN271723), as corrected in the announcement published on November 17, 1998 (I-321 SN272203), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) has provided a $595,000 grant to the Government of Turkmenistan (GOTX) to fund the cost of technical assistance on the proposed Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline project. The GOTX now invites the submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U. S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience to conduct the technical assistance (TA). As the TA is being funded by TDA, only U.S. firms are eligible for consideration. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-funded activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-funded activity. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. The GOTX is examining options of natural gas delivery to Turkish and European markets. To properly evaluate the project, which is known as the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline project, a detailed feasibility study has been conducted by Enron. The draft study Final Report has been submitted to the GOTX, and is now being finalized. At the same time, the GOTX is about to select a company to head a consortium to implement the project. The GOTX has now requested technical assistance (TA) in economic, financial, and legal matters related to negotiation of the contracts and agreements needed to implement the project. Primary Tasks for the TA will include but not be limited to: (1) an initial evaluation of the Enron Feasibility Study to confirm the validity of the economic and financial assumptions; (2) determine the means by which the GOTX can derive the best economic benefit from the project; (3) conduct a legal review of the consortium's proposal considering the petroleum laws and international treaties of the participating countries and contracting practices; (4) review the financing proposal and assess the competitiveness of the strategies including the consortium's approach to political risk coverage; (5) review gas sales estimates and revenue projections; (6) assist the GOTX with the development of key parameters, terms, schedules and other agreements which will be incorporated into a Framework Agreement for the project (7) assist the GOTX with the review of the Final Feasibility Study and advise the GOTX on the economic, financial and legal issues which affect the actual implementation of the Framework Agreement as it is translated into the final agreements and bankable documents. The GOTX will evaluate the Proposals and select the best qualified firm based on the following criteria: 1. Experience of the key personnel in providing economic, financial, legal and financing assistance to corporations or governments foroil or gas pipeline projects of similar scope, cost and complexity. -- 20%; 2. Work plan, for assessing the initial Feasibility Study and Framework Agreement parameters and developing the bases for negotiation, which indicates knowledge and understanding of the economic, financial, legal, and financing requirements, as well as the petroleum laws of Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, as related to the Trans-Caspian Pipeline. -- 35%; 3. Work plan for assessing the Final Feasibility Study, financing plans, financing agreements, gas sales and purchase agreements, transit and operating tariffs, right-of-way agreements, and other major implementation agreements as well as preparing the bases, models, scenarios and strategies for negotiation. -- 35%; and 4. Evaluated cost of consultant's labor -- 10%. Proposals must be received at TDA's offices by 4:00 p.m. on January 22, 1999. The selected firm then will be invited to negotiate a contract with the GOTX. The firm will be paid in U.S. dollarsfrom a $595,000 grant to the GOTX. A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal and the Terms of Reference for the TA, is available from TDA, at Suite 300, 1621 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone and fax numbers. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt, since because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling TDA. The GOTX reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The GOTX also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The GOTX is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals. Posted 12/23/98 (I-SN283101). (0357)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0020 19981228\B-0005.SOL)