News
Oil and Gas: Local Firm Acquires
Hi-tech Equipment
Spurred by the Local
Content Policy of the Nigeria government, a local player in the
oil and gas industry, FENOG Nigeria Limited has acquired hi-tech
equipment, an offshore Pipe-laying Derrick Barge (Akpevweoghene).
Last July 19, the
Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Content Development and
Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ernest Nwapa in Warri, Delta State
commissioned the Africa first PD500 HDD equipment recently
acquired by FENOG Nigeria Limited.
Group General Manager
of the company, Mr. Bello Oboh had said at the commissioning on
July 19, 2011 that; “All these above mentioned equipment are
just a tip of the iceberg. FENOG has also recently and
aggressively moved into shallow and Deep Water operations by its
acquisition of “Akpevweoghene Derrick Lay Barge” meant for the
construction of platforms, heavy lifting and laying of pipelines
in both shallow and deep waters. The barge is expected in the
country about three weeks from now.”
But just before the
celebration that greeted the commissioning of the PD500 HDD
could die down, the indigenous oil service company has taken
possession of the hi-tech equipment, the Akpevweoghene (Praise
God) Derrick Lay Barge to face the challenges ahead.
Executive Director of
FENOG Nigeria Limited, Mr. Matthew Tonlagha disclosed on Monday,
August 1. 2011 that; “The Barge just arrived five days ago in
Tema Dry Dockyard in Ghana . This barge is a very big barge so
it cannot just come and berth here in Nigeria because it sailed
from the Golf of Mexico, US to Africa . We need to check the
barge very well and we need to install the facilities removed
before the barge started its sailing to Africa . And the only
available port that can contain that barge is in Ghana and that
is why we left it there in Ghana . Ghana is very close to
Nigeria with one hour you are in Ghana . We are already
developing our jetty along the Warri River to receive the barge.
Engr. Nwapa was at the jetty on July 19, 2011.”
He explained that; “This
barge is an international barge that can go to anywhere in the
world to work. This barge is to lay pipe line from Shallow water
to deep water and the installation of jacket in deep and shallow
water and well head jacket plat form and that is why they call
it Derrick and pipeline laying barge. The Derrick barge and PD
500 works in different ways. HDD is to lay pipelines without
dredging while Akpevweoghene is to lay barge from deep water to
shallow water off shore.”
According to him, “The
Derrick barge (Akpevweoghene) is to lay pipeline and jacket
platforms. And now that it has arrived, we know that the
multi-national oil companies have been around for the past 20
years when we opened this company, but my Chairman/Managing
Director believed in the local content policy and that is why he
extended it to this deep water operation because we Nigerians
are now available to showcase that we can do all these projects
here. And when the President signed the local content bill it
gave us hope that Nigerians can participate actively in the deep
and shallow water operations.”
While expressing
gratitude to God for the safe arrival of Derrick barge, Mr.
Tonlagha urged President Jonathan to ensure the workability of
the Local Content Policy saying that; “My message to the
President is that it is not just signing the local content
policy into law but to make it work; the people of the Niger
Delta have gone far to procure these equipment to participate
because the President is from Niger Delta. It means we have hope
to participate in this oil and gas industry. The law is supposed
to be the government giving people money and encouraging them to
invest, but we did not ask government to give us money to
procure these huge equipment into the country. We just went
ahead to procure these equipment because of the trust and hope
we have in the local content policy, this is for them to know
how serious we are and it is because of their credibility that
is why FENOG is going into this investment. We should be
encouraged by the government.”
He also said; “The oil
majors should feel free to go to Tema Port in Ghana to see the
new acquired barge by FENOG Nigeria Limited. The barge will be
useful for the operations of Shell, Total, Chevron, ExxonMobil
and others. It will help them to drive the Local Content Policy
of the Federal Government. And this is also an opportunity for
the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Group
Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr, Austen Oniwon, who have
been encouraging and supporting FENOG to let the oil companies
know that we have a new equipment, the offshore Pipe-laying
Derrick Barge and this our latest equipment is also very good
for the Gas Master plan of the Federal Government.”
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