NCDMB generates 30,000 jobs from Ikike field development

…Revamps technical college as TotalEnergies loads out AMD 2 Module

Sopuruchi Onwuka

Federal government has declared generation of significant 30, 000 jobs from the first phase of activities for the development of the Ikike oilfield, offshore Niger Delta.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) which champions value derivation from petroleum industry budgets for the local economy stated that TotaleEnergies which operates the oilfield is officially guided by a tall local content order.

Executive Secretary, Mr Simbi Wabote, stated that nearly all the engineering and fabrication jobs so far on the field development project have been delivered in Nigeria while second phase of the project holds greater prospects for Nigerian value.

The Oracle Today reports that senior officials of NCDMB, TotalEnergies Nigeria and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) weekend marked the load out of the AMD 2 Module for the Ikike Development Project.

The participants at the event described fabrication of the production facility as another remarkable Nigerian Content accomplishment by TotalEnergies Nigeria Limited.

The AMD 2 Module was delivered by Sudelettra Nigeria Limited as a component of the crucial production facility for the Ikike field currently being developed as a satellite tie-back to the conventional offshore Amenam-Kpono field, also operated by the Total in joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

According to the MCDMB, the local content status of the AMD-2 Module includes full domiciliation of all engineering design works in Nigeria, delivery of 93 percent or 89,003 man-hours by Nigerian personnel, and execution of the entire fabrication scope at Sudelettra Fabrication Yard.

The agency also stated that significant 98 percent of the 298,158 fabrication man-hours were done by Nigerians. It added that Nigerian companies with requisite facilities also executed non destructive test (NDT), GRP piping, laboratory testing, among other services.

Mr Wabote, an eminent engineer, said that the load out at Sudelettra Fabrication Yard, has established TotalEnergies as a worthy partner in Local Content development since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in 2010.

Mr Wabote whose messages were delivered by the General Manager, Projects Certification and Authorization Division at NCDMB, Mr. Paul Zuhumben, also made referenced to Total’s local content milestones on the Egina deepwater field development project as setting the highest standards in the Nigerian petroleum industry.

He noted that the Board and Total collaborated at the beginning of the Ikike project to earmark high local content commitments and targets which yielded the celebrated performance.

He also assured that other work scopes on the Ikike platform would be domiciled in accordance with the agreed local content targets to sustain the job creation drive of the federal government.

“In line with the commitment of TotalEnergies in the signed Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate (NCCC), hook-up engineering and tie-in services, inspections and integrity works, pre-commissioning and commissioning, marine activities would be executed with over 95 percent Nigerian personnel with locally owned equipment and assets.

“This is in keeping with the Board’s initiatives geared towards utilization of Nigerian owned marine assets and investments,” he said.

The Executive Secretary further noted that the AMD-2 Module provided an opportunity to carry out refresher oil and gas trainings for 57 personnel as well as trainings for 30 new personnel. He requested the contractor and Total to retain the trainees in the remaining part of the Ikike project.

In his comments, the Executive Director, Total Energies, Port Harcourt District, Mr. Obi Imemba indicated that the entire Ikike project has recorded 77 percent overall progress and the construction of the modules-topsides, platforms, risers, jackets and all other packages were executed in various Nigerian yards by different vendors as approved by NCDMB.

He added that the company’s offshore campaigns were also being executed with vessels that are domiciled in Nigeria in addition to the drilling to be done by Nigerian companies.

He confirmed that the company had used the project to enable more than 30,000 jobs directly and indirectly, highlighting that all the aspects of the job were done with the spirit of promoting Nigerian Content and in collaboration with industry stakeholders.

The Executive Director also underscored the company’s commitment to developing a pipeline of oil and gas projects and supporting additional production potentials of Nigeria, adding that the company was keen to capitalize on all the lessons learnt from previous projects to develop the Ikike project in a simple, cost effective and efficient manner.

He recalled that the Final investment Decision (FID) for the Ikike project was taken in 2019, with support of the partners and the AMD-2 Module started in 2020 and on completion it weighed 250 tons.

He commended the contractor for delivering on the project despite the scourge of the COVID-19 and economic challenges and for recording more than 500,000 manhours without any Loss Time Injury (LTI).

Imemba assured that the offshore components of the project were already in progress, including the installation of topsides, adding that that commissioning and celebration of first oil were expected early 2022.

The Project Manager of Ikike Project, Total Energies, Mr. Modestus Nwosu confirmed that over 44 Nigerian vendors were engaged on various scopes of the Ikike project. He added that the project had also followed the instruction of the Board to undertake the renovation of a hostel and workshops in Government Technical College in Port Harcourt, River State.