MOSCOW. July 2 (Interfax) - Gazprom Komplektatsiya will procure another 324,000 tonnes of pipe to be delivered in the second half of this year additionally to the purchase of 0.8 million tonnes bought earlier this year.

Materials from parent company Gazprom do not provide the top price for the lots, but do say that "the price is being formed on the results of offers from those involved in each lot."

Bids in the tender will be accepted until July 24, the envelopes to be opened the following day and the results announced no later than August 22.

In May, the gas giant and pipe suppliers agreed pricing formulas for large-diameter pipe. They include price quotations for metallurgical material (iron ore concentrate, coking coal, and steel scrap); the pricing on sheet steel and large-diameter pipe; and the index of changes to the prices of producers of industrial goods in Russia.

For the first time, not only are technical pipe requirements specified as to lot, but also the manufacturing plant. In various instances, some lots are being supplied by different plants (producers that do not meet all the lot specifications that show an asterix on the table below). This could complicate producers' ability to take direct part in the tender and could increase the chances for middlemen.

In the first four months of this year, Gazprom made its first major pipe purchase this year - 0.8 million tonnes. No plants were involved in the buy, just traders. The bulk of the buy was secured by the Rotenberg brother's Northern European Pipe Project. In 2010, this enterprise earned 8.3 billion rubles in net profits, the SPARK database reveals.

Gazprom said it was looking over the possibility of splitting lots, so that plants could directly take part in the trading. On the other hand, intermediaries provide plants with more comfortable financial terms, Gazprom said.

Details of procurement structure: