FG to provide 140,000 jobs from NLNG

THE Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract would create over 40,000 direct jobs and provide employment for over 100,000 workers, it was learnt on Thursday.

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Speaking at the signing of the Letter of Intent of the $10billion project in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, said the target job numbers are very exciting.

Wabote said the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has the 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.

He said apart from job opportunities and accruable revenues from the project,  Sylva  also noted the additional tonnage of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to be produced from Train-7 as a key benefit to reduce importation into the country.

Wabote said the minister “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.”

He said the minister has directed that any encumbrance related to the Train-7 project development must be addressed expeditiously by the ministry.

Wabote said the NLNG Train-7 will deliver 100per cent engineering of all non-cryogenic areas in-country.

He added that the total in-country engineering manhours is set at 55per cent which exceeds the minimum level stipulated in the NOGICD Act in line with our resolve to push beyond the boundary of limitations.

On fabrication, Wabote said that the Train-7 scope will bring many of our fab yards roaring back into life with over 70,000 tonnes of in-country fabrication covering condensate stabilisation units, tanks, pipe-racks, flare system, non-cryogenic vessels, and many other spools and fittings.

“Benefits extend to site civil works on roads, piling, and jetties, 100per cent local procurement of all LV and HV cables, non-cryogenic valves, protective paints and coatings, sacrificial anodes and many other direct procurement from our local manufacturing plants.

“Those in the service industry are not left out with the target to assemble over 70per cent of all non-cryogenic pumps and control valves in-country. Other spin-off opportunities include logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage, and many more.”

He said beyond the project, there is also huge scope for local businesses to build capabilities in the maintenance of LNG plants especially in the area of cryogenics.

“We expect full implementation of 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.

“We are indeed excited that the NLNG Train-7 Project will bring about great opportunities for the utilisation of local goods and services in addition to enhancing and developing new capacities and capabilities for the local supply chain,” Wabote. (Vanguard)