Page 18 - AfrOil Week 19 2020

AfrOil
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrOil
In light of the prolonged COVID-19 pan- demic, the oil and gas industry has been heavily strained, increasing the need to pay critical atten- tion to workers’ safety and putting in place pro- cedures to ensure their transitioning in and out of the workplace. Currently, travel restrictions have forced oil operators to maintain their per- sonnel for extended periods of time on remote sites, increasing the risks of Lost Time Injury.
“We must always prioritise the health, safety and well-being of brave oil workers who con- tinue to defy insurmountable odds to keep energy production ongoing across the conti- nent,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the African Energy Chamber. “All upstream oil and gas operators are experiencing similar challenges due to reduced workforces and extended periods of lockdown and travel restrictions. Our guide- lines put the safety of workers, host communi- ties and oil operators at the core of the industry’s operations and sector recovery.”
“These non-exhaustive guidelines will assist operators and governments in ensuring the movement and safety of offshore and onshore oil workers so oil and gas operations can con- tinue while preventing any additional spread of COVID-19,” concluded Ayuk.
In order to ensure that oil and gas health and safety standards and practices adapt to a new normal, the African Energy Chamber has worked with its partners to issue this new set of advisory guidelines. These guidelines notably take into account local regulations in host coun- tries, and are heedful of the need to protect local communities from exposition to any potential Covid-19 transmission.
Such advisory guidelines notably include a series of agreements and protocols governing health monitoring and travel authorisations given to oil workers before, during and after their mobilisation on site.
They take into account the best international healthcare practices in order to ensure both a safe continuation and resumption of onshore and offshore activities, while preserving the health of oil workers, host countries and host communities.
African Energy Chamber, May 12 2020
Axxela reaches landmark 5mn LTI-free man-hours
Axxela Ltd, sub-Saharan Africa’s preferred fast-growing gas and power portfolio company, has achieved 5mn man-hours without any lost time injury (LTI) across its operations. The note- worthy achievement was reached on Friday, May 1, 2020.
LTI is a measure of injury sustained on the
job that is capable of preventing a worker from performing or continuing with a task or result- ing in downtime in operations. It is an oil and gas industry benchmark that evaluates adherence to safety and environmental requirements in the course of operations, and is a critical Key Perfor- mance Indicator (KPI) for Axxela’s conformity with the industry’s best practices.
Speaking on the monumental safety mile- stone, Bolaji Osunsanya, Axxela’s Chief Exec- utive Officer said: “We are proud to celebrate Axxela’s advances in safety performance. This safety mark underscores Axxela’s unwavering commitment to health and safety best practices across all facets of our enterprise. Our inte- grated Environment, Health, Safety and Quality (EHSQ) management strategy revolves around operational excellence, stringent safety pro- cesses, high standards, strict compliance, com- prehensive training, capability building, and vigilant monitoring. Building on our 4mn LTI free man-hour record achieved in 2018, we are excited about this new accomplishment and are already working towards the next ground-break- ing milestone. Safety is firmly entrenched in every aspect of our business and I must com- mend our managerial and operational teams, along with our partners and contractors for their relentless efforts in upholding our robust safety guidelines.”
Achieved over 8 years, the 5mn LTI-free man- hours included operation time in the 12-inch (305-mm), 128-km Eastern Horizon Gas Com- pany pipeline traversing Akwa Ibom and Cross River States (divested in 2014); the 12.15-MW Akute Power Plant Project (divested in 2016); the Gas Network Services Ltd Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Mother Station (a 5.3mn cubic feet per day CNG Plant); the 10.4-MW Alausa Power Plant Project (divested in 2017); the 12-inch, 8.5- km GLIV gas pipeline project taking gas from Ijora to the Marina in Lagos State; the 12-inch, 8.5-km Central Horizon Gas Company pipeline expansion project from Trans-Amadi through the greater Port Harcourt area; the installation of Eight CNG Daughter stations across South- West Nigeria; and commencement of a 12-inch, 120-km gas pipeline project in Sagamu, Ogun by Transit Gas Nigeria Ltd.
Axxela’s EHSQ Manager Uche Okpala attrib- uted the remarkable feat to the dedication of employees and contractors to ensuring an inci- dent-free work environment. He said, “This new safety record is indicative of company-wide adherence to our Occupational Health and Safety standards in line with ISO 45001:2018. While we are elated, our vision remains zero accidents to our employees, contractors, cus- tomers, suppliers and host communities, and continued collaboration with our stakeholders
to maintain a safe environment for all.”
In 20 years of delivering innovative energy solutions to the Nigerian and West African mar- kets, Axxela has built and maintained a safety culture supplemented by a rigorous EHSQ man- agement system for monitoring, evaluating, and
reporting performance.
Axxela holds monthly EHSQ meetings and
an annual EHSSQ Day to deepen awareness and strengthen an incident-free work culture. The company is also the first organisation in the Nigerian oil and gas space to achieve and hold a trifecta of Integrated Management Systems: Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015), Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2015), and Occupational Health & Safety (ISO 45001:2018).
Axxela is a Helios Investment Partners LLP portfolio company, and a designated natural gas shipper on the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP). Axxela is also the pioneering private sector-led developer of natural gas distribution in Nigeria, delivering at peak 80 mcf per day to over 180 industrial and commercial customers via a vast network of gas infrastructure. With over 280 km in gas pipeline infrastructure built, Axxela provides unique energy solutions pri- marily through its subsidiaries: Gaslink Nigeria Ltd, Gas Network Services Ltd, Central Horizon Gas Company Ltd, and Transit Gas Nigeria Ltd Axxela, May 04 2020
FINANCIAL
Africa Oil receives
third dividend from
Nigerian asset
Africa Oil Corp. is pleased to announce that it has received its third dividend from Prime Oil and Gas, a company that holds interests in deep- water Nigeria production and development assets.
Prime has distributed a $50mn dividend with a net payment to Africa Oil of $25mn related to its 50% interest. This payment brings total div- idends received by Africa Oil, since the closing of the Prime acquisition on January 14, 2020, to $112.5mn.
Africa Oil Corp. is a Canadian oil and gas company with producing and development assets in deepwater Nigeria; development assets in Kenya; and an exploration/appraisal portfo- lio in Africa and Guyana. The Company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol AOI.
Africa Oil Corp., May 11 2020
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Week 19 13•May•2020