Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG Train-7 project will at its peak create over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote has said.
Wabote stated this in reaction to the signing of the Letter of Intent for the Train-7 Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract between NLNG and the preferred consortium- Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo.
He said local content opportunities in the Train 7 project will extend to site civil works on roads, piling, and jetties, 100 percent local procurement of all LV and HV cables, non-cryogenic valves, protective paints and coatings, sacrificial anodes and many other direct procurements from our local manufacturing plants.
The target, according to the Executive Secretary, is to assemble over 70 percent of all non-cryogenic pumps and control valves in-country, while other spin-off opportunities include logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage and many more.
“The NLNG Train-7 will deliver 100 percent engineering of all non-cryogenic areas in-country. The total in-country engineering man-hours is set at 55percent which exceeds the minimum level stipulated in the NOGICD Act, in line with our resolve to push beyond the boundary of limitations.
“The schedule of the NOGICD Act set the minimum engineering man-hours for FEED and Detailed Engineering on LNG Facility at 50 percent.”
The Nigerian Content boss confirmed that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has charged stakeholders connected with the NLNG Train-7 project to fast track actions related to it.
According to him, “the Minister has this project as one of his focus areas to put an end to the drought of FDI’s in the oil and gas industry in the last few years.
“Apart from the job opportunities and the accruable revenues from this multi-billion dollars Train-7 project, the Minister also sees the additional tonnage of LPG to be produced from Train-7 as a key benefit to reduce importation of LPG into the country.
“He is also excited that Train-7 project attracts other upstream gas supply projects required to keep the LNG train busy. The project opens up other development opportunities for some gas fields in the shallow and deep offshore acreages such as HI, HA, HK, and Opoukunou-Tuomo fields,” Wabote said.
He charged SCD Consortium to fully implement the agreed Nigerian Content levels as contained in the approved Nigerian Content Plan for Train-7 project, covering engineering, fabrication, civil works, local procurement, project services, logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage, human capacity development and jobs.
