The first gas consignment from the Amenam/Kpono oil and gas field operated under a joint venture between Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was December 30, 2006, delivered to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Bonny, Rivers State.
This is coming on the heels of the Chief Executive /Managing Director of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Jacques Marraud des Grottes,pledging to ensure that the oil company faithfully implements all memoranda of understanding entered into with host communities.
A statement from Elf said that the execution of its gas policy was a giant step towards the stopping of gas flaring in the country in addition to employing the unitisation system for maximisation of oil recovery in the oil and gas sector.
The Amenam/Kpono field is located 30 kilometres from the coast and is 40 meters deep. It took 230,000 man hours to complete the project with no lost time injury. Besides, the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of NNPC, Dr. Edmund Ayoola, said the organisation planned for improved operational capacities in the second phase through optimisation of feed gas to NLNG trains in Bonny when they commence.
He said their emphases on the new system of gas delivery to the trains were mindful of their aim to stop gas flaring by 2008.
According him, the gas injection system would be replaced with water injection system which he hopes would become operational by the end of this month.
“The project is a major investment by the Joint Venture in realization of Nigeria’s objectives to maximize hydrocarbon production in general and commercialization of gas in particular, with a view of achieving flare out by 2008,” he said.
Also speaking recently on the matter, the Elf’s Executive Director, Strategy Business and Non-Operated Assets, Mr. Adekunle Alli, said that from all indications, the Amenam/Kpono field would serve as a future gas hub for feeding the gas trains.
He said that the beauty of the project was that it had over 50 per cent of Nigerian content as some of the work on the facility were done here in the country. Grottes said they aimed to continue good relationships with the communities and listen to their needs in a workable partnership that would be sustained for a along time.
He also stated that the company would work on the capacity building; empowerment and boosting of economic activities of such host communities to ensure that they gained maximum benefit from their training and support programmes.
In his New Year message to all staff of the company, he commended staff contributions which he said have manifested in the growth of the company.
He particularly pledged to protect the interest of their staff in the continuously restive Niger Delta, adding that despite all the challenges, they were making giant strides especially in successfully starting the Amenam/Kpono field productions.
Jan172007