Another first was recorded in the Nigerian Content community on Friday in Port- Harcourt, Rivers State when the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Denzil Kentebe commissioned the first 90mm stainless steel clad vessel fabricated in Nigeria by Energy Works Technology Ltd (EWT), a subsidiary of the Nestoil Group.
The asset also known as a separator was designed for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC’s) Soku Field Development plan and is internally cladded with 316L stainless steel, with internal proprietary separation devices and weighs 83 tons.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary hailed the growth of EWT within the past five years from a light fabrication company to one of the foremost pressure vessel, process equipment manufacturers and heavy fabrication yards in Nigeria.
While pledging the Board’s commitment to help companies like EWT further develop their capacity, Kentebe commended operators especially SPDC, Total and Seplat that put work in the facility and charged other operators to support all service providers that have demonstrated competence and invested in developing their capacity in Nigeria.
Speaking further, the Executive Secretary credited his predecessor, Dr. Ernest Nwapa for laying a good foundation and driving laudable programs, acknowledging that “many of these Nigerian Content successes were birthed before I assumed leadership of the NCDMB.”
He assured that the Board under his leadership will continue to implement already established frameworks and initiate programs that will build on the accomplishments.
He reiterated that investments like the ones made by EWT were critical to achieving the Board’s vision to use Nigerian Content as a platform to industrialize Nigeria and also Government’s aspirations to create jobs and empower Nigerians on the back of oil and gas projects.
He added that the Board “will continue to promote the establishment and utilization of Nigerian facilities and Nigerian owned assets. We will also leverage the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) to implement Capacity Development Initiatives that will create opportunities in manufacturing, engineering, fabrication, marine, subsea, drilling and well services and all other activities across the value chain.”
In his speech, the Managing Director of EWT, Mr. Emeka Nnadi credited the success of the project to the determination of SPDC, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and NCDMB to fabricate the 90mm stainless steel clad vessel in Nigeria even when the capability was novel to local services companies.
“With this achievement, EWT has acquired the technical know-how of forming, assembling, welding and testing all ranges of thick welled pressure vessels,” he said.
The Managing Director also stated that all activities relating to the execution of the project were carried out by Nigerians, which demonstrated that Nigerian Content was viable and its impact on the Nigerian economy was worth the price.
He announced plans by the company to begin motivating and supporting small scale fabricators to attain sophisticated capabilities as growth of this category will have a multiplier effect on the aggregate in-country potential.
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