By Adedapo Adesanya
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said that the National Oil and Gas Excellence Centre (NOGEC) to be launched on Thursday will address critical challenges in the oil and gas sector and also create a more stable and sustainable business environment for operators.
The project will drive safety, value and cost efficiency, which are critical for oil and gas industry stability, growth and sustainability.
The Director of DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, said in a statement on Wednesday that the infrastructure would provide the Nigerian petroleum industry elements for competitive advantage in a changing global energy landscape.
He said, “The integrated centre will also entrench Nigeria’s status as a regional leader and position the nation for significant global impact in the provision of value-added services and breakthrough solutions for the industry in years and decades to come.”
According to the Director, NOGEC is expected to house the various flagship centres to comprehensively cover key areas of the industry.
The centres are Search, Rescue and Surveillance; Command and Control Centre (SeRAS); National improved Oil Recovery Centre (NIORC); Oil and Gas Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC); Oil and Gas Competence Development Centre (CDC); and Integrated Data Mining and Analytics Centre (IDMAC).
Mr Auwalu disclosed that the agency would partner with operators and technology innovators in research and development efforts to achieve projected objectives, adding that it would collaborate with similar international oil and gas regulators in sharing lessons learnt and operational best practices.
He said the Oil and Gas Dispute Resolution Centre is expected to offer arbitration, mediation and conciliation services to the Industry.
Mr Auwalu noted that the centre would leverage industry technical experts, Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners and resources of the National Data Repository to provide fair and balanced resolutions of industry-related disputes from an informed position.
NIORC aims to increase oil recovery methods while cutting costs. The centre will partner with operators and technology innovators in their research and development efforts for achieving its objectives.
The centre will also collaborate with similar international oil and gas regulators in sharing lesson learnt and operational best practices.
NIORC will focus on the implementation of a robust national International Oil Resolution (IOR) framework to enable the country to optimise its resources as well as create greater opportunities for operators.
The CDC is intended to drive innovation, while also providing training for workers.
IDMAC will use various resources, such as big data, internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence for evaluation, analytics and data synthesis.
President Muhammadu Buhari will inaugurate the centre in Lagos tomorrow at a virtual event.
