TotalEnergies puts Ubeta, Perowei projects on the table
- NCDMB proffers TWG, HCD for projects
Sopuruchi Onwuka
French multinational oil major, TotalEnergies, will activate two main projects in the year; putting the Ubeta gas project and the Perowei deepwater development in focus.
To fast track the project, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has proposed raising up of a Technical Working Group and deployment of Human Capital Development (HCD) fund on the projects.
Managing Director and Country Chair TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria Limited, Mr. Matthieu Bouyer, who visited Engr Ogbe at NCDMB’s liaison office in Abuja stated that the company would take the final investment decision (FID) on the Ubeta gas project in 2024, while some other big projects would follow shortly.
The onshore Ubeta project is hosted in producing Oil Mining Lease (OML) 58 is designed to contribute gas to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant and also feed the domestic gas supply system.
The Preowei deepwater project is hosted within already active OML 130 where Akpo and Egina fields continue to produce through separate floating production systems. Perowei lies north of Egina field, in water depth of around 5,904 feet.
Mr. Bouyer told Engr Ogbe that TotalEnergies would continue developing oil and gas projects that would deliver value for the country, deepen Nigerian Content, and yield returns to the company’s shareholders. He added that TotalEnergies would engage closely with the NCDMB to achieve speedy development of the project, increased crude oil production and enhanced revenue for the country.
He pointed at the company’s an outstanding track record with key oil and gas projects for Nigeria in the last 10 years. Some of the projects, he explained, created Nigerian Content records, such as the fabrication of six modules of the Egina’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in Nigeria.
He solicited the continued cooperation of the NCDMB for accelerated Nigerian Content reviews and approvals.
In his remarks, Engr Ogbe assured the TotalEnergies team that NCDMB would fast-track the approvals needed by the company to deliver speedily on its oil and gas projects, referring to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) instituted by the Board with industry’s key stakeholders for shortening the contracting cycle.
He declared the commitment of the NCDMB to create enabling environment that would attract investments and new projects, create employment opportunities for youths and address insecurity in line with President Bola Tinubu Administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He assured that the NCDMB would grant accelerated approvals to requests that meet the specified Nigerian Content regulations.
Engr Ogbe proposed the constitution of a technical working group (TWG) with representatives of NCDMB and TotalEnergies to proactively address pertinent issues that relate to the company’s projects and the board’s expected roles.
The meeting also secured the commitment of TotalEnergies to aggregate the Human Capacity Development (HCD) Fund on its projects for strategic HCD initiatives as stipulated under the Guideline for Nigerian Content Human Capital Development Implementation Strategy introduced by the NCDMB in June 2020.
Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) led by the Managing Director/ Vice-Chairman, Mr. Fabrizio Bolonoi, also visited the Board’s liaison office to congratulate Engr Ogbe on his appointment and convey the company’s willingness to support his leadership and develop new oil and gas projects in Nigeria.
In his response, Engr Ogbe conveyed the Board’s readiness to support operating oil and gas companies to develop their projects expeditiously. He hinted that the country was desirous of new oil and gas projects and all hands were on deck to realize the objective, which are critical to President Tinubu administration’s economic agenda.
