Page 12 - AfrOil Week 33 2019

AfrOil
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrOil
MIDSTREAM
NNPC chief tasks pipeline
professionals on security,
efficiency of pipelines
Mallam Mele Kyari, the group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC), has tasked members of the Pipelines Profession- als Association of Nigeria (PLAN) to come up with appropriate technology to stem the current challenges associated with oil and gas pipeline vandalism.
e managing director noted that security and integrity of pipelines were a big challenge in the industry and called on all stakeholders to collaborate on the situation.
“For us, what is of concern is the safety and security of our existing infrastructure. Beyond just laying and maintaining the pipelines, their security is an issue for us today. e associa- tion needs to focus on that, and we can ensure greater e ciency. We count on you in that regard because about 70% of pipelines in the country belong to NNPC,” he stated.
Kyari said that the corporation was work- ing in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to optimise the participation of Nigerians in pipeline construction and to get more value from them.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of PLAN, Geo Onuoha, assured the GMD of his support while expressing readiness to work with him to realise his vision for the industry. “You want this industry to work well, [and] you have made it clear that you want the re neries to work. Pipe- lines are the critical arteries to the re neries. We want to let you know that we are willing to work with you”, Onuoha declared.
For his part, the director general and chief executive o cer for the Infrastructure Conces- sion and Regulatory Commission, Chidi Izuwa, said there was need to direct private capital into
pipeline infrastructure. He added that his com- mission was ready to collaborate with NNPC to drive investment in the pipeline sub-sector, using the public private partnership (PPP) and conces- sions models. “We are going to work closely as PLAN, as ICRC, with NNPC to achieve this very objective, which is in [line] with the objective of this administration”, Izuwa stated.
NNPC, August 15 2019
POLICY
US government shows appetite for expanding industrial dialogue with Africa on LNG
With record-breaking US gas production this year and the promotion of gas as a cleaner, cheaper energy source a continued priority for the current White House, the US Department of Energy is now looking towards Africa to develop opportunities in the exploration, pro- duction and monetization of LNG. In the words of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, “[ e] increased amounts of US LNG on the world market bene t the American economy, American workers and consumers and help make the air cleaner around the globe.”
Appetite for imported gas is growing stead- ily across the African continent. Just recently, South Africa announced plans to open its rst LNG import terminal in 2024. Meanwhile, US gas production is skyrocketing.
Currently at 6bn cubic feet (bcf) per day, production is forecast to grow to 10 bcf per day by the end of 2020. is con uence of circum- stance makes Africa a common-sense partner for the US as it sets out to cement its position as an energy superpower.
As part of this mission, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg, will join 22 Pan-African ministers at the Africa Oil Week summit in Cape Town this November. He will use the event to share US energy policy points with the continent and outline a vision for deeper US commitment to Africa in the oil, gas and power sectors.
is vision looks set to encompass increased two-way trade and investment between the US and Africa, with the US making potential capital available on joint-ventures and to part- nance LNG infrastructure for energy-lacking African countries.
e announcement of Winberg’s attendance
at the summit comes alongside several major US private-sector investments into the African energy sector. ExxonMobil is making progress in Mozambique with the Rovuma LNG project in the deepwater Area 4 block, which contains more than 85trln cubic feet of natural gas.
Particularly notable, though, is Anadarko’s recent announcement of its final investment decision (FID) to construct a $20bn gas lique- faction and export terminal in Mozambique, the largest single LNG project approved in Africa. A representative from ExxonMobil will be cov- ering the Rovuma LNG project in Mozambique at Africa Oil Week, and there will be a strong presence from ENH and INP at the conference. Africa Oil Week is putting a renewed focus on the place of gas, with ve dedicated sessions ded- icated solely to LNG during the event.
Africa Oil Week, August 14 2019
MOVES
UNOC board of directors names acting CEO
e Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) board of directors has named Proscovia Nab- banja as acting CEO, as Dr. Josephine Wapaka- bulo concludes her journey on August 13, 2019.
Nabbanja, a geologist with 19 years of expe- rience in the oil and gas industry, has been the chief operating o cer-upstream at UNOC for the last three years. She formerly served as a principal geologist in the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and headed the Technical Division, which was at the fore- front of reviews of technical proposals, especially eld development plans and petroleum reservoir reports.
Nabbanja also led efforts to estimate and report the country’s oil resources and reserves, as well as eld operations, monitoring and man- agement of petroleum data.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, geology) from MUK, and a master’s degree in petroleum geoscience from the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, DIC, Dip Petroleum Management and Operations, and an MBA from the Imperial College Business School in London.
“We are con dent [of] Proscovia’s abilities, and UNOC has got a solid foundation to con- tinue in a seamless manner.” UNOC’s board chairman told the company’s sta during Wapa- kabulo’s farewell party.
Uganda National Oil Company, August 13 2019
P12
w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m
Week 33 20•August•2019