Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) has signed a $10 million contract with a Nigerian indigenous firm Dorman Long Engineering.
The one-year contract for maintenance is the first time a Nigerian company will undertake a project of this magnitude, according to SNEPCo�s General Manager, Offshore Ruud Schrama.
He also explained that the development is an instrumental move to validate indigenous companies, in addition to offering an opportunity for Nigerian companies to gain offshore experience in the deepwater sector.
“Nigerian contractors have continued to play key roles in Bonga, since the field commenced operations in November 2005, as Nigeria�s first deepwater production. They have provided support in sub-sea engineering, as well as maintenance,” said Schrama.
A statement from the company yesterday said the contract also includes Brownfield engineering services on the Bonga Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Another indigenous company, Lagos-based Nigerdock was responsible for fabricating the FPSO�s mooring buoy on this vessel built by Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea. it said.
The General Manager noted that Bonga FPSO�s mooring buoy was the largest and most sophisticated facility of its kind in the world.
According to Schrama: “Nigerian contractors have continued to play key roles in Bonga since the field commenced operations in November 2005, as Nigeria�s first deepwater production. They have provided support in sub-sea engineering, as well as maintenance.”
Dorman Long first began in 1949, and provided asset support services for both upstream and downstream oil facilities throughout its producing life.
Chukwuma Henry Okolo, CEO and Vice Chairman of the company explained that the maintenance benefits of the contract will include accelerated training and employment of Nigerians in key skill areas, local fabrication of critical components used in Bonga during emergencies, actual and potential cost savings by deploying local resources, enhanced security of assets by local domiciliation of capabilities and acquisition of world-class asset management Information Technology (IT) infrastructure.