- NCDMB Seeks More Local Content in New Projects
International oil companies and promoters of new deepwater projects in Nigeria must deliver Nigerian Content milestones that will exceed in-country integration of Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading platforms, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr. Simbi Wabote, has said.
He said Total Nigeria’s Egina deepwater project, which would be integrated at the LADOL Free Trade Zone, had become the benchmark for Nigerian content on deepwater projects.
He stressed the need for new projects to break new records in terms of local content.
Wabote was quoted in a statement as saying this in Lagos after inspecting facilities of Samsung Heavy Industries, the main contractor for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the FPSO scope on the Egina project.
He said in-country integration of the FPSO and fabrication of six modules of the vessel created 5,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs, adding that increased domiciliation of future FPSO projects through the fabrication of more modules would create additional jobs, estimated to reach 30,000.
According to him, the NCDMB will not rest on its oars with regard to the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act.
“New projects must look at doing the FPSO integration and more; we must add something to our achievements,” Wabote said.
He said six modules of the Egina FPSO were fabricated in-country across some yards whereas 12 modules were welded at Samsung’s base, Geoje, South Korea.
He said, “For the next FPSO, more modules must be fabricated locally.”
Wabote, who commended the level of investment and the utilisation of local workforce, said the board would continue to work with industry stakeholders to develop new projects and domicile more work in the country.
In his presentation, the Chief Operating Officer, SHI Nigeria, Mr. Frank Ejizu, said the quayside was ready to receive the FPSO, adding that the tracks had been certified.
He stated that 364 Nigerian welders had been qualified and awarded international certifications, with which they could work anywhere in the world.
According to the statement, the NCDMB executive secretary visited the facilities of Dover Engineering, JC International and Thompson and Grace Limited, all located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ejizu explained that his visits to oil and gas facilities across the country were aimed at assessing the capacity of Nigerian companies in their areas of operations.
He said information gathered from the visits would be used during tenders and in planning capacity development, adding that he would enlighten the IOCs and project promoters on existing in-country capacities and ensure their utilisation during projects.