By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No fewer than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created from the execution of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 project worth $17 billion.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr Simbi Wabote, who made this disclosure, said this development will go a long way to boost the nation’s economy.
The NCDMB boss said further that, “The NLNG Train-7 will deliver 100 percent engineering of all non-cryogenic areas in-country. The total in-country engineering man-hours is set at 55 percent which exceeds the minimum level stipulated in the NOGICD Act, in line with our resolve to push beyond the boundary of limitations.”
During an event held on Wednesday in Abuja for the signing of the Letter of Intent (LoI) for the Train-7 Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract between NLNG and the preferred consortium- SCD, which is constituted by three entities – Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo, Mr Wabote the schedule of the NOGICD Act set the minimum engineering man-hours for FEED and Detailed Engineering on LNG Facility at 50 percent.
He stated further that the benefits of the Train 7 project will extend to site civil works on roads, piling, and jetties, 100 percent local procurement of all LV and HV cables, non-cryogenic valves, protective paints and coatings, sacrificial anodes and many other direct procurements from our local manufacturing plants.
The target, according to the Executive Secretary, is to assemble over 70 percent of all non-cryogenic pumps and control valves in-country, while other spin-off opportunities include logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage and many more.
He confirmed that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, has charged stakeholders connected with the NLNG Train-7 project to fast track actions related to it.
According to him, “the Minister has this project as one of his focus areas to put an end to the drought of FID’s in the oil and gas industry in the last few years”.
Apart from the job opportunities and the accruable revenues from this multi-billion-dollar Train-7 project, the Minister also sees the additional tonnage of LPG to be produced from Train-7 as a key benefit to reduce importation of LPG into the country, he added.
“He is also excited that Train-7 project attracts other upstream gas supply projects required to keep the LNG train busy. The project opens up other development opportunities for some gas fields in the shallow and deep offshore acreages such as HI, HA, HK, and Opoukunou-Tuomo fields,” the local content boss stated.
Mr Wabote charged the SCD consortium to fully implement the agreed Nigerian Content levels as contained in the approved Nigerian Content Plan for Train-7 project, covering engineering, fabrication, civil works, local procurement, project services, logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage, human capacity development and jobs.
At the event, Managing Director of NLNG, Mr Tony Attah, said “that Train-7 will move from Front End Engineering Design (FEED) to detailed design, construction, commission and delivery and this phase will attract almost $7 billion with an addition of the upstream scope of $10 billion which will boost the foreign direct investment profile of Nigeria.”
He pledged the company’s commitment to achieve the project within four to five-year period and hoped that it would sign the Final Investment Decision (FID) by the end of October 2019.
Mr Attah commended NCDMB for completing its review of the commercial evaluation report of Train 7 in 48 hours, noting that it took the natural gas company about three months to produce the commercial evaluation summary.
While confirming that NCDMB had kept to its commitment of reducing its approval cycle on projects, the NLNG boss also thanked the federal government for the support they provide for the project.
He lauded the three entities that constituted the SCD consortium – Saipem of Italy, Japan’s Chiyoda and Daewoo of South Korea for delivering the FEED and participating in the EPC tendering.
He confirmed that the issuance of the LoI moved the NLNG even closer to the Final Investment Decision (FID) as the ceremony is the declaration of intent and commitment to the contractors who will go forward with the project. Train 7 will move the company from 22-million-tons capacity from its six trains currently to 30 million tons, essentially about 35 percent increase in capacity.
Aduragbemi Omiyale