Page 18 - AfrOil Week 23

AfrOil NEWS IN BRIEF AfrOil

“Formed in May 2019, we are head-quartered in UK ties and a satellite office in London ensures with Senegal playing host to a number of new-
Dakar with a satellite office in London. We are that we can do that. The proximity of Dakar to comers. Bollore Africa Logistics is the largest
also in the process of forming a local entity in The Europe and the similar time zones mean that company in the sector and owns major oper-
Gambia. Our three main service lines are design, personnel can mobilise at short notice and with ations in the ports of Dakar, Nouakchott and
integrity and maintenance. These cover green- ease. Conakry. Bollore boasts decades of experi-
field engineering design, brownfield modifica- “The MSGBC basin has thus far yielded such ence operating within the oil and gas industry
tions, asset integrity management and offshore a significant amount of hydrocarbon reserves throughout the region. Other logistics heav-
hook-ups. Engineering and project management that it is easy to forget that the basin is still grossly yweights are present in Dakar and across the
is at the heart of what we do, and our strength lies underexplored. A hive of exploration activity is basin, such as CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and
in the technical capability of our team. envisaged in the next two to three years, which DB Schenker. Local players such as Maritalia
“Even though I’m the MD, I still have techni- would most likely lead to further mammoth have the competitive advantage of meeting local
cal project responsibilities within the company. finds which could firmly establish the region as content goals and possessing a complex under-
An offshore structural engineer by discipline, one of the world’s most important energy corri- standing of the local challenges. Finally, smaller,
I have close to 15 years’ experience in the UK, dors over the coming decades. The world-class more reactive players like LSCM aim to play a
working for several major engineering, pro- BP-Kosmos Greater Tortue and Orca-1 discov- role in disrupting the market through the use of
curement and construction fabricators and eries in Senegal and Mauritania are particularly innovative technologies.
operators. At Gorée, we perform the engineer- attractive at a time when oil majors are moving The petroleum wharf located at the Port
ing calculations and drawings in-house without away from mega crude oil projects and invest- de Dakar in the center of the capital has been
having to rely on international consultancies. So ing heavily in LNG, which is much cleaner than entrusted to the Belgian operator SEA INVEST
far, the team consists of 8 engineers and project crude.” for a period of 25 years. Located in the northern
managers with extensive regional and interna- Africa Oil & Power, June 05 2020 area of the Port of Dakar, the wharf was built in
tional experience. We can also mobilise a team of 1954 and has been the subject of several studies
offshore-certified ops/maintenance technicians Logistics play integral part and expert reports for its reconstruction. Its new
at short notice. reconfiguration offers an available living area of
“We are proud to announce that we have in Senegal’s energy sector 8,000m² and a commercial depth of -12m com-
recently formed a partnership with an Aber- pared to the hydrographic reference zero.
deen-based 3D cloud scanning company which In light of key petroleum discoveries offshore, Meanwhile, Dubai Ports World is investing
will enable us to offer our clients a complete Senegal has taken into account the growing $30mn in the ‘Port of the Future’ in Ndayane, 50
package of inspection, 3D scanning, design, importance of logistics across its petroleum km from Dakar. Scheduled to start operations
build and offshore installation/hook-up. value chain, with private players and govern- in 2023, it will feature a 20 m draught and will
“In the next five years, our strategic aim is to ment working in tandem to develop a local have the capacity to manage 1.5mn containers
be established as the most trusted, technically workforce that is ready for first oil production per year. Since 2008, DPW Dakar, a local subsid-
capable local engineering services company in 2022/2023. iary of DPW, has owned the concession for the
serving clients operating in the MSGBC Basin. Logistics is an integral component of a pros- container terminal of the Port of Dakar, located
To achieve this, we will continue to talk to pro- perous national energy sector, yet it is some- at the city center.
spective clients to assess their needs, maintain times left behind in terms of regulation reforms, Mauritania’s Port de l’Amitie, in Nouakchott,
and recruit first-class personnel and reinforce investment and manpower development. How- features the advantage of having experience in
our quality and safety management systems. ever, thanks to the National Oil and Gas Institute handling oil logistics thanks to the Chinguetti
We will work hard to get onto various client and various programs that have been launched field, which has been operational since 2004. In
preferred bidder lists with a view to supporting in Senegal since the country’s major discover- November 2018, ARISE-Mauritanie SA, a con-
drilling campaigns, offshore hook-up activities ies were made, Senegal is currently shaping its sortium run by Singapore-based agribusiness
(in 2022) and providing continuous asset integ- workforce to be able to provide energy logistics giant Olam, was awarded a 30-year concession to
rity management and maintenance services to ahead of first oil production. build an oil terminal in the port of Nouakchott,
operators post-2022. To effectively handle production starting in as well as an additional container terminal.
“Local content is key. In order for the local 2022/2023, it will be necessary for Senegalese Africa Oil & Power, June 03 2020
oil and gas industry to be sustainable, compet- companies to implement skill transfer mod-
itive and resilient in the face of inevitable mar- els and create partnerships with more experi-
ket downturns, international operators have to enced, international players. In terms of human
rely on a robust and capable local supplier base. resources, Senegal is a long-established leader
Having to rely on an international supply chain within the region in the maritime field, specif-
for example, is expensive and cumbersome and ically in fishery activities. However, hydrocar-
will no doubt squeeze operating margins. The bons necessitate specific skills that are currently
advantages for the home country are obvious under-represented in the local population.
– in terms of increasing the skills-base of the In 2015, Dakar’s business school, SupDeCo,
labor market and providing very good salaries. launched the first ever master’s degree in petro-
It is important that local content is nurtured and leum logistics. The National Petroleum Institute,
strengthened by all stakeholders concerned. inaugurated in 2018, will also train professionals
“While we will always prioritise hiring capa- with the technical knowledge needed to operate
ble local and regional staff, there will inevitably within the industry.
be occasions where the only way to plug a spe- The dynamism of Senegal’s logistics sector
cialist skills gap or mentor junior staff will be to is confirmed by the increased interest received
draft in an international expat. Having strong from both African and foreign logistics players,

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 23 10•June•2020