Nigerian companies showcase oil & gas potentials at SNEPCo exhibition

Nearly 40 Nigerian companies showcased their potential for offshore materials and services in the oil and gas industry at an exhibition organised in Lagos by the deep-water subsidiary of Shell in Nigeria, Shell Nigeria Exploration and production Company Limited (SNEPCo.)

The exhibition, the 4th in the series aimed to raise the level of awareness in critical offshore oil and gas categories where local investment opportunities exist, and where Nigerian businesses are currently under-represented. Among the exhibitors at the 2015 edition were two companies, the Nigeria Machine Tools, and Kay Global, whose products are now being used in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

“The annual Nigerian content exhibition has helped Nigerian companies to keep pace with the fast-evolving local market for offshore materials and services,” said Bayo Ojulari, SNEPCo Managing Director in his opening remarks. “Looking back on the three editions, I’m happy to say that the event has provided a platform for the alignment of offshore industry demands with local capabilities, which has in turn promoted exchange of ideas and best practices among the indigenous service providers, SNEPCo and other stakeholders.”

William Arikekpar, Manager, Monitoring at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), commended SNEPCo for sustaining the exhibition since the first edition in 2012. He urged Nigerian companies to take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in offshore oil and gas operations.

Ralph Welzels SNEPCo’s Finance Director said he was happy to see many Nigerian companies exhibiting at the event, saying they must sustain the drive for excellence by improving processes and benchmarking against global standards.

The Nigeria Machine Tools attended the Nigerian Content Exhibition on November 11 having just successfully introduced some of its products, such as stud bolts and nuts, for use in offshore oil and gas exploration and production, after SNEPCo supported them with testing and certification.

Also, Kay Global achieved a breakthrough when the backing of Shell led to the acceptance of the company’s locally manufactured personal protective equipment for use in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Shell companies in Nigeria, Chiedu Oba, said: “Shell companies in Nigeria will continue to support local manufacturers and vendors to bring them up to international standards. In doing this, we’re looking to see manufacturer suppliers who will make their mark on the international scene.”

SNEPCo helped to create the first generation of Nigerian deep-water oil and gas engineers and service providers when it commenced production at Bonga field in 2005, Nigeria’s first oil and gas project in more than 1,000 meters of water.

Today, 90 percent of Bonga’s core offshore staff is Nigerian. SNEPCo has also led the way in providing financial empowerment and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and competences from global offshore service providers to local firms in exploration and production activities.

OLUSOLA BELLO