Page 14 - AfrOil Week 05 2020

AfrOil
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrOil
UPSTREAM
Tower Resources
conducting site survey
for NJOM-3 well in Thali
licence offshore Cameroon
Tower Resources has provided an operational update on its work on the ali licence in Came- roon, conducted through its wholly-owned sub- sidiary Tower Resources Cameroon.
e Geoquip Marine survey vessel MV Inves- tigator is at the proposed site for the NJOM-3 well, and is presently conducting the site survey. e vessel should have completed its boreholes in a few days.
Analysis of the data and preparation of nal reports will take a little longer, but should allow the Company to move to more concrete sched- uling of the NJOM-3 well on the ali block later in February.
Tower Resources, February 4 2020
San Leon Energy provides
update on new ACOES
on OML 18 onshore Nigeria
San Leon Energy has provided an update on the new alternative crude oil evacuation and storage system (ACOES) on OML 18, onshore Nigeria. As described in the half-year report released on September 30, 2019, ACOES is being con- structed for the purpose of transporting, stor- ing and evacuating crude oil from the OML 18 export pipeline running from within the OML 18 acreage and down to the open sea to a ded- icated Floating Storage and O -loading (FSO) vessel named ELI Akaso.
e ELI Akaso is expected to arrive shortly
into Bonny port. Energy Link Infrastructure (Malta) Ltd (ELI, the third-party provider of ACOES) has informed Eroton, the operator of OML 18, that the following activity is expected: All government and regulatory approvals for project construction have been received; Febru- ary 2020: site mobilisation; March 2020: instal- lation and completion of the Cawthorne-2 and -3 pig launcher and receiver platforms; and May 2020: completion of pipe laying, and commis- sioning of ACOES.
Oisin Fanning, Chief Executive O cer, com- mented: “ e operation of ACOES is expected to be a major catalyst for the success of OML 18. We have long described the challenges to pipe- line losses and downtime on the existing NCTL pipeline and ACOES is expected to reduce both signi cantly.”
San Leon Energy, January 30 2020
DOWNSTREAM
NCDMB, Rungas
start LPG cylinder
factory in Polaku
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) announced on Wednesday that it has partnered Rungas Prime Industries Ltd in the establishment of a 400,000 per year Type 3 LPG Composite Cylinder Man- ufacturing Plant in Polaku, Bayelsa State.
Making the announcement in Yenagoa during a town hall meeting with chiefs and representatives of the Polaku Community, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote con rmed that Rungas had been allocated two hectares of land at Polaku for the establishment of the factory.
NCDMB had purchased 10.6 hectares of land at Polaku in June 2013 for the purpose of
establishing a pipemill but discussions with Yulong Pipemill of China and other investors did not yield expected results, leaving the land to lie fallow for almost seven years.
He stated that the groundbreaking ceremony for the cooking gas cylinders manufacturing facility will be performed in a few weeks by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, adding that NCDMB is keen for the project to start immediately because it will create employment opportunities for youths from the state and environs.
He indicated that another strong motivation for the facility is the direct linkage to one of the Minister’s operational priorities, which is the penetration and utilisation of lique ed petro- leum (cooking) gas by Nigerians.
e Executive Secretary expressed hope that the project will generate up to 200 direct and indirect jobs during construction phase and about 350 direct and indirect jobs during the full operations phase, in addition to other induced employment and economic activities.
He also con rmed that NCDMB had allot- ted another hectare of the Polaku land to a gas distribution company for the construction of a Pressure Reduction and Metering Station.
“This is meant to supply gas to upcoming industries in Polaku, Gbarain, and other sur- rounding areas to the distribution of domestic gas for power generation and for other industrial uses.”
He explained that the Board changed its strategy a er experiencing long delays in getting investors for the planned pipemill. e new strat- egy will ensure utilisation of the site and bring manufacturing out ts to the area for creation of jobs and increase in economic activities, he said.
Wabote hinted that NCDMB was also in discussion with other investors to take up the remaining portions of the Polaku land, adding that “we will allocate the land to as many com- panies as possible for setting-up of viable busi- nesses until the land is fully allocated.”
He maintained that NCDMB’s partnerships with investors was in line with its vision to serve as a catalyst for the industrialisation of the Nige- rian oil and gas industry.
Identifying reasons why Yulong Pipemill did not continue with the pipemill project, the Executive Secretary said the company had con- cerns about security, co-operation from the host community and return on their investment, especially a er the crash of crude oil prices in the international market. He noted that the com- pany moved to Lekki Free Zone in Lagos and set up the pipemill within six months in 2016.
He charged the Polaku chiefs and leaders to support the new investment because it will place their community on the map of oil and gas man- ufacturing activities and provide job opportuni- ties for their children.
P14
w w w. N E W S B A S E . c o m
Week 05 05•February•2020