Michael James 16 June 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos – Executive Vice President of Samsung, Mr Younsang Won, has revealed that the multi-billion dollar Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading, FPSO, vessel, currently being constructed in South Korea by Samsung Heavy Industries,will arrive Nigeria in August 2017.
Won stated this when the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside paid a visit to Samsung Shipyard in Geoje, South Korea.
Younsang did not disclose the actual date the FPSO will sail-away from South Korea but earlier media reports indicated that the sail-away might likely be in June.
When the FPSO sails away from South Korea, according to fundings, it will spend approximately one and a half months on sea before arriving Nigeria.
On arrival in Nigeria, the FPSO will move to the Lagos Deep Offshire Logistic, LADOL, base for full integration before being taken to Egina the field off Bayelsa State.
Meanwhile, Won assured that the quality of the project will bear the mark of excellence associated with Samsung Heavy industries, promising to comply with local laws in Nigeria and do all within his powers to work with locals to build capacity in offshore projects industry.
Dakuku Peterside, in his speech, said said the construction of the Egina FPSO will increase the knowledge base of NIMASA as a safety administration agency and enhance its regulatory capacity and ultimately fetch the country the much needed foreign exchange.
According to him, “this project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, it will increase our knowledge base of inspection techniques, certification and rules for maintaining classification and ultimately benefit the Nigerian economy in terms of foreign exchange”
He assured Total and other prospective investors that the agency will continue to create a conducive environment for investors to be able to be confident to come up with projects of this nature.
According to him “This is a mega offshore project that will bring out the best in us, let me assure you that we will discharge our responsibility as the facilitator of maritime business in Nigeria and ensure that our maritime domain remains safe and secure for this kind of projects, we will give both Samsung and Total Nigeria necessary support to actualize the Egina FPSO project for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians “Dakuku Peterside said
Perterside further commended Samsung and Total oil for having faith in Nigeria and its effort to comply with Nigerian content law.
He commended Samsung for having NIMASA surveyors on ground in South Korea to work with world-class classification societies on the project, saying this will make certification and passage of the project easier and faster.
He however charged the Executive Vice President of Samsung to ensure compliance with the Cabotage Law and other enabling Nigerian laws when the FPSO gets to Nigeria, adding that the Nigerian government is working hard to provide conducive business environment
The FPSO is being developed for deployment in the Egina oil field, located 150km off the coast of Nigeria. The field is currently under development and production is scheduled to begin in 2018. The Egina Field, when completed, is expected to add 200,000 barrels of oil per day to Nigeria’s oil production.
