Precommissioning contract for Weatherford in Gabon ABERDEEN-based Weatherford’s Pipeline & Specialty Services group (P&SS) has been awarded a contract by Global Industries Offshore for subsea pipeline flooding, cleaning, gauging, and hydrotesting services on the Perenco SEEG (see below) project in Gabon. The pipelines involved are a 98-km long, 10-in diameter, pipeline from Batanga to Port Gentil; and a 108-km long, 8-in diameter, pipeline from Port Gentil to Pongara. Both lines are in shallow water, with the precommissioning being conducted from the beach; the project is scheduled for completion by October. The pipelines are being installed by Global for operator Perenco in order to provide gas to SEEG for power generation in Port Gentil and Libreville. Gabon’s electricity sector is operated by the Société d'Electricité et d’Eaux du Gabon (SEEG). Since 1997, Veolia (a French water and power utility, formerly called Vivendi) has owned 51% of SEEG, and the remaining shares are owned by SEEG employees and the public. Electricity rates have fallen since Veolia led efforts to improve the country’s generating capacity and its transmission/distribution network. Almost half of the Gabonese population is connected to the national grid. SEEG supplies electricity to approximately 520,000 people in Gabon, primarily in the cities of Libreville, Port Gentil and Franceville. In December, 2005, Perenco signed a gas contract with SEEG, under the terms of which Perenco will supply gas by pipeline to SEEG’s power plants in Libreville and Port Gentil.