Aero Contractors rotary wing, which carries out over 35 per cent of offshore shuttle services for oil and gas companies, has lost a major Shell contract to Caverton Helicopters and multibillion naira major services in the off-shore operations.
THISDAY learnt that the contract with Shell which was signed about three months ago has given Caverton, which is working with a foreign helicopter company, Dancopters, an edge.
t has now paved the way for it to take over similar offshore services for the major oil and gas companies. Confirming the development, a senior Caverton source told THISDAY that the contract was won by the company after a competitive biding, adding that by that particular contract, Shell and other companies would cede other contracts to Caverton.
“Aero has been having this contract over the years, but Caverton won it in a competitive biding because of its level of local content, which met the conditions set out by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the local content policy and by winning this contract automatically Caverton has taken over the other operations,” he said.
But THISDAY investigation showed that Shell decided to open bidding for the contract at the time Aero was having financial challenges with Canadian Helicopters, which provides the Aero rotary wing its helicopters, a situation that prompted Canadian Helicopters to lease some of its helicopters to Dancopter of Denmark, which is in partnership with Caverton.
By the time Aero settled with Canadian Helicopters, the deal had already been sealed and besides, Shell was not hopeful that Aero would be able to handle the contract.
By losing the contract, Aero has lost its multibillion naira offshore oil and gas shuttle market as Canadian Helicopters would now be dealing with Caverton.
The Chairman of Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola, said in his address at the signing ceremony: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Caverton Heliport and to this epochal event signposting the formal signing of the contract between Shell and Caverton Helicopters. This event is particularly heart-warming as it is coming at a time government is determined to enforce total adherence to the Nigerian content policy in the engagement of local operators in the oil and gas industry.”
But Aero, THISDAY learnt, is lamenting that Caverton does not have the inclination to employ Nigerians as its critical staff are foreigners. Aero has many Nigerians who are trainee engineers but would now lose the opportunity to be fully employed after training.
“Why do we undervalue ourselves so much that we give preferential treatment to foreigners and even go as far as paying an expatriate more than a Nigerian colleague in the same exact position with the expatriate in the same company? This is made much worse by Caverton Helicopter Services whom as a company policy does not even consider Nigerians for employment in their own country. How sad?” an Aero source said.
But Makanjula said in his address: “Being a national company, we are well placed to appreciate the need for relevance, positive interaction and engagement with host communities. In addition to what we have been doing in enhancing indigenous capacity, Caverton Helicopters will continue to develop local capacities in our host communities. We will continue to invest in infrastructure developments, empower our hosts’ business community and adopt a programme to train the youths in adaptive skills. We are also investing in scholarships and generally in education and the initiation and maintenance of health facilities within our host communities and beyond.”.