04 August 2015, Port Harcourt – The first locally fabricated thickest walled pressure vessel has been unveiled in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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 tonnes.
Speaking at the ceremony Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Mr Denzil Kentebe, hailed Energy Works Technology, EWT for the achievement. He said the success certainly derived from commitment and aggressive drive to build capacity on the part of EWT to be able to break the new ground.
“We are proud of this achievements and the board will support EWT to sustain its capacity and develop even further. We want to commend the operators, especially SPDC, Total, Seplat, who have demonstrated faith and confidence in EWT as an indigenous company and put work in this facility.”
While pledging the Board’s commitment to help companies like EWT further develop their capacity, Kentebe commended operators like SPDC, Total and Seplat that supported the facility, and charged other operators to support all service providers that have demonstrated competence and invested in developing their capacity in Nigeria.
He reiterated that investments like this are critical to achieving the Board’s vision to use Nigerian Content as a platform to industrialise Nigeria, while also realising government’s aspirations to create jobs and empower more Nigerians.
Earlier, the Managing Director, EWT, Mr Emeka Nnadi, called for collaboration among indigenous contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers to enable Nigeria record more successes in its local content vision. He said: “It is natural for multinational operators and contractors to protect their business interest by whatever means possible, but we need to protect the opportunities we have and secure the future of our younger generations.
“We must be vigilant to corporations that are bent on circumventing the laws under various guise as this is denying Nigeria of capital and opportunities for job creation, capacity building among others.” He also expressed the hope that the nation will no longer import pressure vessels with the achievement recorded by EWT.
On his part, the Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, Mr Emeka Ene, urged companies in Nigeria to emulate EWT, saying the 90mm Stainless Clad Separator was a commendable move.
He also urged indigenous firms to test their capacities by delving into nouveau areas of this nature, saying: “Things don’t happen by accident. The first thing is capacity building. You don’t know your capacity until you are given an opportunity. EWT has done this.”
– Vanguard