BIDDER ON JORDAN-IRAQ OIL PIPELINE SEEKS USG

UNCLAS AMMAN 001252 SIPDIS SENSITIVE USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/COBERG USDOC ALSO FOR ADVOCACY CENTER USUN FOR KONZET, HILLMAN STATE ALSO FOR L/NEA AND L/EB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP EPET ETTC IZ JO SUBJECT: BIDDER ON JORDAN-IRAQ OIL PIPELINE SEEKS USG SUPPORT SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY This is an action request: see para 3. ¶1. (sbu) We were recently contacted by Brock Tuppeny, Business Development Manager for Petrofac, a UK-registered company with extensive operations in Texas and partial U.S. ownership. According to Tuppeny, Petrofac is involved in, inter alia, construction of the Georgian portion of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Tuppeny approached us seeking USG advocacy for their bid on the tender to build an oil pipeline and related support facilities linking Jordan's Zarqa refinery to the Iraqi border. ¶2. (sbu) In the first instance, we have referred Tuppeny to the DoC website to complete an advocacy request. In the interim, we have reviewed the RFP and Petrofac's proposal to get a basic understanding of the project. However, upon review of the RFP, we learned that the tender includes significant construction on the Iraqi side of the Jordan-Iraq border. Specifically, the RFP requests the project developer to: "...finance, design, build and transfer to the Government of Iraq before start of commercial operation of the system a truck unloading facility, a tank farm, a booster pump station and a custody transfer metering facility located directly at the Iraq Jordan border on Iraqi territory (these facilities will be owned, operated and maintained by the Iraqi government)..." ¶3. (sbu) Action request: We believe there is a distinct possibility that such a project as currently composed could run afoul of U.N. and U.S. sanctions on Iraq. Thus before proceeding with any advocacy on Petrofac's behalf, we would appreciate Washington guidance on our ability to speak on behalf of this company. GNEHM