…says Total is pushing the boundaries of Local Content
…says Total is pushing the boundaries of Local Content Aveon Offshore has recorded a new Nigerian Content feat with the fabrication of the biggest Offshore Loading Terminal (OLT) Buoy ever made in Nigeria and the first to be delivered ahead of schedule and launched on a dedicated slid way.
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote and the Managing Director of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria, Mr. Nicolas Terraz commissioned the buoy on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It will be used to offload crude oil from the Egina’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel.
Wabote spoke at the event and commended Aveon Offshore for another sterling execution of a project. “With an assemblage of over 1,300tonnes of steel for this buoy, I am happy you did not cave in under the weight of the challenges but you have once again proved your mettle.”
He noted that many other Nigerian service companies performed creditably on different scopes of the Egina deepwater project. “This flagship project has provided a good opportunity for Nigerian companies to demonstrate their capacity and maturity since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in 2010.” He further charged Nigerian oil and gas service providers to always deliver on any project they are contacted to do. “It is one thing to win a contract; it is another thing to deliver the contract scope timely and safely.”
He also expressed hope that future projects such as Zabazaba, Bonga South-West, Ekike, Owowo and others would utilise the capacities already developed in meeting and exceeding the Nigerian Content targets stipulated in Nigerian Content Act.
The Executive Secretary commended Total for their wonderful disposition towards the development of Local Content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. “Total remains at the fore-front of pushing the boundaries of the local content practice and we are proud of the various Nigerian Content achievements under the Egina project despite the initial challenges.”
Other operators, he counselled, should adopt a similar attitude in the delivery of their projects, focusing on what can be done to comply with the law rather than looking for ways to circumvent the provisions of the law.
On the need for new projects to sustain the capacities that have been developed, Wabote said the Board was working closely with the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) so that new projects can come on stream quickly.
In his speech, the MD of Total confirmed that “this is the first Turret Buoy designed in Nigeria with in-service replaceable wheel bearing system.” He emphasized that the project achieved approximately two million man-hours with Zero Lost Time Injury (LTI). “For Total, safety is a core value because we believe that nothing can truly and sustainably be achieved in our industry without an unconditional respect for the highest safety standards.”
Vice President of NOV APL – the main contractor to Total on the project, Mr. Janborre Sannaes stated that 98 percent of the engineering on the OLT buoy was executed in Nigeria while the project management and procurement were also managed in-country. He asserted that the newly constructed slid way would serve many other projects.
Earlier in his comments, Chairman of Aveon Offshore, Mr. Tein George disclosed that the company had no prior experience on a similar project but NOV APL and NCDMB gave their backing and Total got convinced to have the company execute the fabrication of the buoy.
He also pleaded with the Federal Government and the international operating companies to approve new projects to ensure that the skills that were acquired and facilities developed on the Egina project would not be lost. He also asked the Executive and Legislative arms of the Federal Government to clarify the fiscal terms in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), noting that many operating companies were delaying new investments because they want to be sure of the new terms that would determine the viability of their investments.
