Mr. Bala Wunti the Group General Manager (GGM) of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) has declared that the completion of Madu Conductor Supported Platform (CSP), further affirms the seriousness of the Federal government’s plans to grow local economy and reduce cost implication of developmental projects.
The NAPIMS boss noted that the project constructed by Dorman Long Engineering Limited will jerk up total crude oil production capacity to approximately 60,000 BOPD and reduce gas flaring in Nigeria.
Bala who was represented by Mr. Buduwara Zakariya the General Mananger Joint Venture Operator (NAPIMS), made this assertion during the official Load-Out of the newly constructed Oilfield platform by Dorman Long Engineering Limited at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard, Victoria-Island Lagos on Tuesday, August 16,2022.
According to him the platform which was phase 1B of Anyala-Madu Field development project, is a decisive effort of President Mohammadu Buhari initiated in 2019 to unveil NNPC to the world.
“We are proud of the feats we have achieved with the First E&P Joint Venture. From the successful delivery of the phase-1A scope of Anyala-Madu Field development project during the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, to sustaining offshore production operations in a safe and sustainable manner.
“We are committed to supporting the JV to yet again deliver remarkably on the Phase-1b. The Madu field development will raise the total JV production capacity to approximately 60,000 BOPD and facilitate the elimination of gas flaring.
“Today’s CSP Load-out is indeed no mean feat. I would like to commend the Mangement and Staff of First E&P, our entire project team for the hard work they have invested into the project so far and the contractors, Dorman Long for their diligence and continuous support.” Bala said
Dr. Timi Austen-Peters the Chairman Dorman Long Engineering Limited, highlighted the strict adherence to local content act provisions and the attendant positive impact on the nation’s economy.
According him the platform when in full operation will produce 20,000 barrels and can conveniently perform optimally what larger platforms will do.
“We built the platform deliberately in Nigeria, all fabricated in the Naval Dockyard by Dorman long.
“The platform will produce oil and gas, 20 000 barrel a day, with adherence to local content act, our unit cost weigh below 10 dollars.
“The Anyala field which is the first platform currently on shore produces 44,000 barrel of oil already.
“The Madu field was discovered by Chevron and Texaco 40 years ago but it took the joint venture of FIRST E&P to conceptualize this.
“NNPC funded the project till when we can get additional funding. The partnership is thriving, and we are given a task, “now you are at 45 go to 100”.
“We will need to build 2 or 3 more it is possible, so that we can learn from that already done. Not only Dorman Long. PETAN members contributed immensely to the delivery and domiciliation of the money to ensure it was spent in Nigeria.
“The platform was a good job well done. The collaboration ensured we got value for money spent, through deliberate protection of local content.”
Rear Admiral Hamza Ibrahim the Admiral Superintendent Naval Dockyard Limited in his short remarks stated, why the project is given required attention being a structure that is constructed to further boost the nation’s sea power and maritime activities.
“The Navy providing this enabling environment for Dorman Long is all in line with our contribution to national development, because the project by no means is going to contribute to national development of the country.
“We also wish to see Nigeria develop capacity in terms of self reliance in building facilities of this nature.
“Don’t forget that one of the major strategic reason of the Federal Government acquiring this facility is to enhance or actualize quest for sea power.
“The project you are seeing is an integral part of acquiring sea power and enhance the maritime activities in Nigeria which the Navy by constitution is mandated to protect the maritime environment.
“It is equally to enable Nigeria to build capacity in terms of maintenance and building military vessels.
“I am very sure you are aware that the President and Commander in Chief was here late last year to Commission one of the vessels that was constructed here, so all this factors are traceable to why we are able to assist in providing an enabling environment for this kind of project.” Rear Admiral Hamza said.
Mr. Ademola Adeyemi Bero the CEO/MD FIRST E&P Joint Ventures (First Exploration &Petroleum Development Company Limited) in his own contribution on the importance of the project, notes that the objectives that drives the project was mainly premised on growing local content and expertise, thereby saving more revenues for government and stakeholders.
“The two licensed blocks are in shallow waters and we have to look for a concept, to develop how we produce the oil safely and sell it.
“We had three objectives in mind, how do we do this safely?
“How do we use the whole Nigerian NCDMB local contents act, to ensure that most of this thing can be built in Nigeria and not overseas, and last one is how can we generate revenue for government by making sure the cost of this is as low as possible?
“So we looked around the world and we discovered this concept called the Conductor Supported Platform as you can see it is a small foot print .
“If you look some other platforms they are about three or four times this size but this platform can contain eight to ten wells.
“We have already done the first one, the Anyala platform built in Avion in Porthhacourt, that platform is currently producing 45,000 Barrels a day.
“This platform will do at least 20,000 Barrels and also produce a lot of gas. We are motivated by the listed objectives: can we do it safely, can we do it in Nigeria?
“So that we can give Nigerians employment and can we do it at the cost which gives more revenues to government and the stakeholders?
“At 10 dollars unit development cost, which will be 5 dollars per barrel, but when we start operation, we expect the unit operating cost to be less than 10 dollars per barrel.
“Given the cost of production we designed a small platform that can do what the big platforms can do. Which encourages us to use more Nigerians, all men in Dorman Long here are Nigerians.
“We imported flat sheets of steel which was rolled, designed,curved by Dorman Long so essentially you put people to work, when Ajaokuta works we won’t need to import the flat steel anymore that means everything will be done here.
“We are putting people to work, as well as the contractors and we are hoping we can do more of this. They will have more experience and it stays in this country.
Engineer Woma Oluje the Deputy Director Management System Certification of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) reaffirms Dorman Long’s strict compliance to churning out standardized and products with high grade quality.
“Dorman Long has been our long standing client, now synonymous to quality, so they are an organisation that takes quality so seriously, they are ISO 9001 certified and they also have Mandatory conformity Assessment Programme Certificates which bothers on products.
“Dorman Long has been there, ensuring quality products and systems in other to meet customers requirements.
“What Dorman Long has done shows that we Nigerians can go to places, we need to believe in ourselves this is all local content, it is an indigenous a lot of the people have fabricated this are all Nigerians.
“It is a huge milestone achievement so Nigeria we are there and we are going to continue to make the mark in the global arena. Standardization and quality assures stakeholders and there will be order.” Woma said.
The site Engineer Mr. Benson Onyebeke notes that the platform will be set sail tomorrow and will be commissioned by September .
The Dorman Long Engineer Mr. Victor Kanu however noted that by the construction and eventual loading of the platform within 777,202 hours with no incidence, the historical jinx in the sector has been broken.
“2019 this project was in paper form, Nigerians translated that to this structure- Madu CSP project, from production Depth, Drill, and even subsea structure done also by Nigerians, so the construction was fully Nigerian.
“Local content was well encouraged. Things hitherto seen as not doable in Nigeria but today we have broken the jinx. In 777,202 hours with no incidence achieved.”
