The following article, "GMD NNPC visits KAZTEC fabrication yard, impressed by level of work," written by Raheem Oluwafunminiyi, was oringally published in The Herald on October 14, 2014.
GMD NNPC visits KAZTEC fabrication yard, impressed by level of work
Leading 100% indigenous Engineering, Procurement, Installation, Construction, and Management (EPIC-M) Company, KAZTEC received a delegation of leading oil and gas Chiefs to its fabrication yard at Snake Island over the week. Led by the Group Managing Director Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha and members National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), the scheduled visit came at a time when the fabrication yard, visited about three months back by the GMD, had witnessed rapid improvement in terms of the massive level of work done so far.
Marc Robillard, KAZTEC’s Commercial Director, who welcomed the GMD NNPC delegation took them round to see the visible progress made so far on the yard since the earlier visit by the GMD about three months ago. On hand to give a clearer picture of the on-going project was Mr Jim Syne, Construction Manager Snake Island, who explained the Antan project, Antan jacket deck and pilling works. Mr. Jim pointed out a number of individual components that he said would give aerial support where the final jacket label will be laid. He further observed that the on-going work, appreciable as it seems, is still about a learning process which by next year will be a lot developed than they are. Asked about the performance of the welders on ground, he said: “since the industry generally have less than 2 per cent welders, with a certainty of between one and two per cent, point one per cent of that number resides in Nigeria and from what I have seen at the yard, the welders who are all Nigerians are not only good but for me personally, I am impressed with their quality and performance.”
Mr Jim intimated the GMD about the appraisal levels of the welders at the yard and series of training skills and programme they are given to help them develop on the job.
While fielding questions from reporters, Mr Robillard said the fabrication yard which a year and half ago was virgin land, with 85 per cent swamp and 15 per cent trees, has been able to develop and now being used for constructing offshore platform.
“We started with smaller projects but with Antan which is a medium sized project; it is going to bring us into an offspring of being able to go to a much bigger project. Right now, Antan is in d area of 1400 to 1500 tons of steel and will be going to 17000 tons of steel for the Ofrima/Udele project which encompasses bigger platforms, process facilities and much larger jackets, so this is what we have now,” Mr Robillard said.
He noted that they are on phase one of the project which will go on to phase two that will include an expansion of the fabrication yard and then phase three with dried up facilities, turning mill facilities, pipe coating facilities and finally, phase four most likely to include residential buildings, golf course among others at the other end of the island. He further said that apart from the idea of a big expansion, the project involves and very long term commitment on Snake Island.
“The timeline on these phases will be finished by December of this year, phase two by December next year, dry docking facility another year after and then the pipe mill and more, so by 2018, phase one, two and three will be terminated.”
On his attitude towards the Nigerian content and benefits to Nigerians, he added that “a 100 per cent Nigerian content will be available by the time the project ends. We are 100 per cent committed to the Nigerian content and so in three years’ time, we would have created over something between 2000 and 3000 local workers who will be Nigerians on the ground and also create indirect jobs in d area of approximately 15,000 to 20,000.
“It’s not a question of Snake Island being a Nigerian content, it’s a question of ensuring we buy Nigerian content also because we will be dealing with more and more Nigerian companies,” Mr Robillard said.
The NNPC GMD, on his impression of the facilities, observed that having had the privilege of visiting the yard three months ago, which was just in its initial stage, he could see progress on the fabrication.
“I am delighted that this is being done by most Nigerians. I am also delighted that most stakeholders are involved like the community who are part and parcel of what is happening here which is a very important thing. And with the future plans they have for the community and the very good training programme for Nigerians, I must confess that I am very much impressed by the level of work which is progressing rapidly,” Dr. Dawha said.
