‘Gas Is Critical For Africa’s Future’ – GE Gas Power Summit
Gas will be critical for creating industry, manufacturing and attracting investment capital, energy experts at a forum have asserted.
With recent major gas discoveries in Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal, Mauritania and South Africa, Africa is poised to use gas technologies that are faster, more reliable, more cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly than coal or oil. To deliberate on the changing trends and future direction of gas in the energy industry, GE (GE.com) recently hosted the Gas Power Summit for Sub-Saharan Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.
The forum brought together senior leaders from governments, financiers as well as key stakeholders and thought leaders from utilities and the private sector across the region to explore industry opportunities and challenges on the future of gas power in sub-Saharan Africa.
During his keynote discussion, Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Gas Power, emphasized the need for countries in sub-Saharan African to work together with the private sector to meet the growing energy demands. “Bridging the energy gap in Sub-Saharan Africa will require continuous, sequential power improvements and the full involvement of governments, fuel suppliers, private capital and technology providers. Gas is a natural choice to help fill the gaps – providing dispatchable, flexible, affordable, and fast power for people and industries – and with more than 120 years of experience in the region, GE is proud to continue to help lead these efforts,” Strazik said.
The participants at the forum discussed key trends shaping the energy sector including the use of technology to drive better efficiencies for utilities and the use of natural gas to meet the increasing energy demand.
“Energy demand globally is driven primarily by socio-economic development and Sub-Saharan Africa will need to be creative in how we manage the energy deficit,”Hendrik Malan, CEO of Frost & Sullivan Africa said.
“Adoption of natural gas is an excellent opportunity for the region to reduce carbon emissions and balance the energy mix,” he said.
The modern power grid needs resources that can ramp up and down, swiftly, efficiently and repeatedly. Operational flexibility is critical for gas turbines that compliment renewable energy as it balances electric system loads and helps maintain grid reliability. “GE continues to help countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa meet their growing energy demands. Case in point, our Aero-derivative gas turbines provide fast, reliable power for energy emergencies and power crisis while our total plant management solutions demonstrates our strength as a single service provider that understands the full plant-as-a-system impact for installation, maintenance, repair and upgrade activities,” said Elisee Sezan, CEO for GE’s Gas Power business in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“GE’s TM2500 mobile aero-derivative gas turbine, for example, can be installed quickly – in as little as a few weeks – to help alleviate frequent outages, making them especially well-suited for countries throughout Africa.”
In Angola, GE Gas Power provided emergency power within 30 days just before Christmas, providing emergency power for approximately 100,000 Angolan homes.
GE has been collaborating with energy stakeholders to deploy innovative technologies tailored to respond to the needs in the region since the 1950s with reliable baseload and flexible emergency power.
In 2018, the company celebrated its 100th power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa and today, up to 17GW of gas power generation on the grid runs on GE gas turbines.
GE Gas Power’s portfolio consists of advanced technologies and solutions that help build and manage power plant assets and operations more efficiently.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Kenya: Kenya Power Sacks 110 Employees Over Illegal Connections
Kenya Power has dismissed about 110 employees who were found guilty of aiding fraud, illegal connections and other crimes.
The layoff happened within the past one year.
The Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Power, Bernard Ngugi has warned of more action as the company scales up the fight on crimes that undermine the quality of power supply.
Speaking at Tassia estate, Ngugi said he led the company’s operation to crack-down on illegal power connections.
The operation was carried out jointly by Kenya Power’s security personnel and officers drawn from the National Police Service.
The initiative was supported by the Cabinet Secretary for Energy Hon. Charles Keter and the director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti.
“The company will continue to work with security agencies to eliminate illegal power connections and address other crimes that are denying Kenyans quality electricity supply. Illegal connections do not just threaten the company’s revenue but also the lives of beneficiaries and the public at large. We are focused on eliminating these crimes and ensuring all those found culpable face the full force of the law,” Ngugi said.
Today’s operation follows a month after a similar operation was carried out in Mukuru Kwa Njenga Estate where 16 transformers and assorted cables aiding illegal power supply were recovered.
Kenya Power has recently increased surveillance on the grid network as a measure to address the rampant cases of illegal connections, vandalism, bypassing of meters and fraud involving transactions for payment of bills, electricity connection and purchase of electricity token.
In October last year, the power utility established a special response team called the Field Enforcement Unit (FEU) that works closely with security agencies to promptly address cases of illegal connections.
Since the beginning of the current financial year, a total of 630 people have been arrested across the country and prosecuted for various crimes relating to the theft of electricity and fraud. Out of these, 115 people have already been convicted.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Pre-Mix Fuel Secretariat Chairman Inspects 900 Dormitory Project At Tema Manhean SHS, Nyanyano Market Shed
The Chairman of the National Premix Committee under the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Nii Lantey Bannerman has inspected some ongoing projects being executed by the Landing Beach Committees at Tema Manhean and Nyanyano near Kasoa in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana.
At Tema Manhean, the premix committee chairman, who was accompanied by the Administrator of the Pre-mix Fuel Secretariat, Nana Abrokwa A. Asare, Mayor of Tema, Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La and Greater Accra Regional NADMO Coordinator, Archibald Cobbinah inspected an ongoing 900-bed capacity dormitory at the Manhean SHS.
The two-storey dormitory project, which is estimated at GHC6 million, was started in 2012.
The project is currently at the ground floor level with the first and second floors expected to be completed soon.
When completed, the dormitory would bring a huge relief to the students of Manhean SHS.
At Nyanyano, the landing beach committee has also constructed a market shed which is yet to be commissioned.
The project was funded from the Community Development Fund, and GHc31,490 support by the Member of Parliament for the area, Kojo Asemanyi and GHc16,790 from Richmond K. Otoo, a philanthropist of the area.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com, Nii Lantey Bannerman commended the landing beach committees for utilising 53 percent of the Community Development Fund to execute projects which go to improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.
Touching on the Tema Manhean SHS dormitory project, Nii Lantey Bannerman said before this current administration assumed office, the project was about 10 percent complete.
He said the efforts of the current administration is what have pushed the project to its current level.
He gave the landing beach committee up to the end of June to complete the project.
Mr Bannerman said his outfit wants to make sure that all ongoing projects across the fishing communities are completed before the end of the year.
On his part, Mr Eben Anuwa–Armah, who is the project committee chairman, said they would be able to meet the June timeline because funds are available to complete the project.
The administrator of the Pre-mix Fuel Secretariat, Nana Abrokwa A. Asare said they are excited that the landing beach committees are using proceeds of the 53 percent Community Development Fund judiciously.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
When completed, the dormitory would bring a huge relief to the students of Manhean SHS.
At Nyanyano, the landing beach committee has also constructed a market shed which is yet to be commissioned.
The project was funded from the Community Development Fund, and GHc31,490 support by the Member of Parliament for the area, Kojo Asemanyi and GHc16,790 from Richmond K. Otoo, a philanthropist of the area.
Speaking to energynewsafrica.com, Nii Lantey Bannerman commended the landing beach committees for utilising 53 percent of the Community Development Fund to execute projects which go to improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.
Touching on the Tema Manhean SHS dormitory project, Nii Lantey Bannerman said before this current administration assumed office, the project was about 10 percent complete.
He said the efforts of the current administration is what have pushed the project to its current level.
He gave the landing beach committee up to the end of June to complete the project.
Mr Bannerman said his outfit wants to make sure that all ongoing projects across the fishing communities are completed before the end of the year.
On his part, Mr Eben Anuwa–Armah, who is the project committee chairman, said they would be able to meet the June timeline because funds are available to complete the project.
The administrator of the Pre-mix Fuel Secretariat, Nana Abrokwa A. Asare said they are excited that the landing beach committees are using proceeds of the 53 percent Community Development Fund judiciously.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com Burkina Faso: IFC, Ministry Of Energy Sign Agreement To Enhance Energy Storage And Solar Production
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed an agreement with Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Energy to assess how private investment in energy storage can contribute to higher levels of solar power production while enhancing grid stability and dispatch issues.
This assessment will lead to the definition of a storage investment roadmap based on PPP models in Burkina Faso.
It will be jointly supervised by IFC, the Ministry of Energy and the grid utility Société Nationale d’Electricité du Burkina (SONABEL).
Under this agreement, IFC will assess the economic benefits of storage to integrate solar capacities to the grid and decrease the overall generation costs, review the country’s legal and regulatory frameworks and compare private and public storage project development and financing models.
IFC will also provide recommendations regarding various aspects of Public Private Partnerships in energy storage, based on a review of international best practices.
“This assessment is an important step to help successfully integrate a larger amount of solar power into the country’s energy mix, as planned by the government,” Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire, IFC’s Country Manager for Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Niger and Togo said.
Burkina Faso’s power sector is characterised by a high reliance on expensive thermal capacities and imports. While the target is to achieve universal access to electricity by 2025, the country’s present electrification rate is approximately 20%.
The Burkinabe government has launched an ambitious renewable energy strategy to valorize large available solar resources and decrease both electricity generation costs and exposure to oil price fluctuations.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Anadarko Seeks Approval To Sell Assets To Total SA
Ghana’s Ministry of Energy is in the process of finalising approval of the sale of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s assets in the West African country to the French oil and giant, Total SA.
Sources within the country’s Ministry of Energy told energynewsafrica.com that there has been series of meetings between the Ministry and officials of Anadarko including a meeting during the Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, South Africa, last year.
Anadarko has been operating in the country since 2006, and until the sale of its operations last year, it owned 24.077 percent of the Jubilee Field, which is Ghana’s first oil field, and 17 percent of the Tweneboah-Enyera-Ntomme (TEN) project, an integrated oil and gas project.
So far, Anadarko has sold its operations in four African countries — Algeria, South Africa, Mozambique and Ghana.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Energy in-charge of Petroleum, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, who confirmed the sale processes, said: “We cannot stop anybody from selling. Except that if you want to sell, you have to meet all the requirements that we have lined up. Once they comply with that, why not?”
Dr Adam said Anadarko was supposed to furnish the ministry with 12 separate documents.
He said the company had, so far, complied with virtually everything, except a tax clearance certificate, adding that the ministry was aware that Anadarko was currently engaging with the GRA to acquire the tax certificate.
“If they are done with the negotiation, then, they will send a package of all the documents and the Minister for Energy will look at all that and approve it,” he said.
Mr Adam said although Anadarko was yet to satisfy all the requirements necessary for the transaction to be consummated, the ministry was excited about the entry of Total SA into the oil sector in Ghana, given its size, clout and experience in the industry.
“We want Total; we want all the ‘big boys’ in the industry in Ghana. We have a lot of potential and, therefore, when you have big companies, they first of all help de-risk your investment environment and, secondly, there is a potential for them to invest,” he said.
“It may also want to compete for another block and then bring new investments into that block. So these are advantages that will come to the country,” he added.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Saudi Arabia To Cut Crude Oil Exports To China In March
China’s top oil supplier and the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, will be cutting its crude exports to the world’s top oil importer by at least 500,000 bpd in March.
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia, has decided to cut down supply because of a slump in refinery demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
China’s typical intake of Saudi crude oil is between 1.8 million bpd and 2 million bpd, according to Reuters’ sources.
Last year, Saudi Arabia significantly raised its crude sales to the China, boosting its exports by 47 percent and beating Russia for the top Chinese supplier spot for the first time in four years.
However, the coronavirus outbreak has significantly slowed fuel demand in China as the authorities imposed travel restrictions in an effort to quickly contain the outbreak.
City lockdowns, domestic travel restrictions, and thousands of canceled flights to and from China have weighed on Chinese gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel demand over the past month.
Due to weak fuel demand and depressed industrial activity, Chinese refiners—from the biggest refiner in Asia, Sinopec, to the independent refiners in Shandong—have cut refinery runs, while commodity trading houses and oil majors have scrambled to find spot buyers for crude oil outside China.
Chinese oil refiners have cut their daily run rates further, to around 10 million bpd last week—the lowest level since 2014, according to industry insiders who spoke to Bloomberg.
While refiners have cut run rates, China’s fuel exports are booming amid battered domestic demand, analysts and trade sources tell Reuters as higher Chinese exports flood the Asian market, which sees depressed demand from the outbreak itself.
The slowdown in China’s industrial activity is causing the worst shock to oil demand in over a decade, Jeff Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview on Bloomberg earlier this month.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: WAPCo Announces Successful Completion Of Pipeline Cleaning Exercise
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has successfully completed the cleaning and inspection of its 20’’ offshore pipeline from Badagry in Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana.
The Internal inspection of the 569km offshore pipeline was completed on Sunday February 23, 2020, almost one month ahead of the scheduled completion date of March 20, 2020.
“A significant amount of data was successfully gathered during the inspection and will be analysed over the next couple of months to further provide critical insights and assurance of the overall integrity of the pipeline to support WAPCo’s continuous optimal operations,” a statement signed by Kwasi Agyeman Prempeh, General Manager in charge of Corporate Affairs at WAPCo, said.
There has been pockets of power outages following the shutdown of WAPCo’s pipeline for the cleaning and inspection exercise.
The situation frustrated many electricity users with many Ghanaians claiming that the West African nation has returned to the era of load shedding
WAPCo, in the statement, said it is resuming the transportation of gas to its customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana.
“In Ghana, WAPCo is currently transporting natural gas to its Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station only. Gas transportation to its Tema Regulating and Metering Station will commence after the completion of the ongoing expansion works under the Takoradi to Tema Interconnection Project (TTIP) expected to be operational in March 2020.
“With the completion of the pipeline cleaning and inspection exercise, WAPCo is better positioned to offer reliable and improved service to its customers in Ghana, Togo and Benin in their effort to provide a greater access to affordable and reliable power for economic growth,” the statement said.
WAPCo expressed its gratitude to its stakeholders for the show of support during the cleaning and inspection exercise that allowed it to safely and efficiently execute the work plan ahead of schedule.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Chevron To Lay-Off 288 Staff On April 6
US oil and gas giant, Chevron Corp. has hinted of plans to lay-off about 288 employees at the company’s regional headquarters at 700 Cherrington Parkway in Moon Township, PA, by April 6, 2020.
The company gave the hint in a WARN notice it sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry earlier this month.
The notice indicated that an unspecified number of lay-offs would occur April 6 and added that some employees will be offered temporary assignments, with extended lay-off dates potentially through the end of this year.
“We are taking active steps to reduce job loss and will facilitate the placement of as many impacted employees as we can with other Chevron business units,” the letter stated.
Chevron also indicated that any employees who are laid off would receive severance and outplacement services.
“The WARN Act is a regulatory requirement intended to give employees advance notice before potential layoffs at a plant or facility. It’s too soon to know how many employees will be affected on or after the April 6 date indicated in the WARN letter,’’ a source at Chevron said in a reply to an email by Rigzone.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Global Power Industry Deals Total $44.83bn In Q4 2019
Global report for the power sector has revealed that total power industry deals for Q4 2019 were worth $44.83 billion.
In a statement, released by GlobalData, it said the power sector witnessed an increase of 109.3% over the previous quarter and a rise of 39.1% when compared with the last four-quarter average of $32.24 billion.
In terms of number of deals, the sector saw a rise of 9.5% over the last four-quarter average with 507 deals against the average of 463 deals.
In value terms, Europe led the activity with deals worth $19.06 billion.
The top five power deals accounted for 44.9% of the overall value during Q4 2019.
The combined value of the top five power deals stood at $20.11 billion, against the overall value of $44.83 billion recorded for the month.
The top five power industry deals of Q4 2019 tracked by GlobalData were:
- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s $6.1 billion private equity deal with Pattern Energy Group
- The $4.52 billion acquisition of Anixter International by WESCO International
- Chubu Electric PowerInc and Mitsubishi’s $4.52 billion acquisition of Eneco Holding
- The $2.53 billion acquisition of Uniper by Fortum
- Credit Agricole Assurances, Engie and Mirova’s asset transaction with Energias de Portugal for $2.45 billion.
Ghana: Call Tullow, Kosmos To Order-Petroleum Workers To Gov’t
Members of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Union (GTPCWU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress have called on the Akufo-Addo administration and their social partners in the oil and gas industry to care about Ghanaian workers in the sector.
They further asked the government to order their multinational employers to put a stop to what they describe as constant threats of lay-offs.
The call follows plans by Tullow Ghana Ltd to lay off 25% of their labour force.
In a statement signed and copied to energynewsafrica.com, GTPCWU said: “We’re by this statement, notifying the government to speak up for Ghanaian workers who are struggling in the oil and gas industry following threats by Tullow Oil Ghana and Kosmos Energy Ghana Limited. The key architects of the industry attempt to down size their staff rate, using their operations in Ghana to achieve their obnoxious target.”
It went on to say: “We have been observing developments over the past one month as these two companies continue to threaten laying off staff based on managerial weakness and not labour challenges.
“That is why we have maintained that all companies must create conditions for unionisation of workers so that nobody can be taken for granted. Again, nobody should attempt to prevent workers who constitute the active labour force in the country in the oil and gas industry, whether upstream or downstream from forming or joining a trade union as prescribed by the Labour Act 2003.”
The group also called on the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), regulator of the sector, to keenly monitor employers threatening to lay off their workforce and stem the tide to protect rights of these workers.
“We want all stakeholders to speak up in the face of these threats so that ethics of decent work agenda are fully observed by these multinational companies to ensure fair labour practice between workers and management.
“Instead of laying off workers receiving fat salaries at their head officers outside Ghana, they want to abuse the rights with the excuse of downsizing to sustain operations.”
Clink on the link below for the full statement.
Press Release-Downsizing of Tullow&Kosmos (1)
Gabon: Oil & Gas Sector Set For Massive Investments- Africa Energy Chamber Declares
The African Energy Chamber has declared that Gabon’s energy sector, especially the oil and gas sector, is set to witness massive investments.
The Chamber made the declaration during a visit to Libreville to promote investments into the country’s oil & gas value chain.
During its visit, the Chamber lauded the leadership of H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba in pushing for the country’s new Hydrocarbons Code and Gabon’s potential to attract substantial investment, and expressed its support to the Government’s continued drive to create an enabling environment for the local and international private companies.
“Gabon is a well-established African petroleum province entering into a new era of growth and energy transition,” Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the Chamber and CEO of the Centurion Law Group declared.
“The country’s ambition to increase investment in upstream, expand energy infrastructure and above all develop a robust gas industry needs to be backed by private sector capital and technology. This requires the creation of a strong enabling environment, which is what the industry is calling for. It is extremely encouraging to notice the impact of recent reforms on the ease of doing business and investors sentiment in Gabon.”
The country passed last year its new Hydrocarbons Code, which contains more attractive fiscal terms, in line with other sub-Saharan competitors.
The new regime already saw the signing of 12 PSCs with foreign companies such as Assala Energy, Petronas, Sinopec and Perenco, boosting investors confidence in the market’s potential.
Meanwhile, very recent discoveries have been made by Vaalco Energy at the Etame Field, whose PSC was extended in 2018 for another ten years in order to provide for additional investment.
The country is currently promoting its sedimentary basin through its 12th Licensing Round, which offers no less than 35 oil & gas blocks to bidders.
A delegation from the Ministry of Petroleum, Gas, Hydrocarbons and Mines led by H.E. Minister Vincent de Paul Massassa was in Houston this week where it met several partners and foreign investors.
Such a strong showing from Gabon is expected to generate substantial interest from operators, and result in the signing of several additional PSCs this year.
Gabon’s new regulatory framework also puts a strong emphasis on local content. The Hydrocarbons Code notably introduces the concept of indigenous enterprise (“société autochtone”), defined as a Gabon-registered company whose management is Gabonese, where at least 60% of the capital is held by Gabonese nationals, and whose workforce is composed by at least 80% of Gabonese nationals. Gabon’s indigenous companies are given priority and preference over the signing of exploitation conventions for the development of marginal discoveries and marginal and mature fields, in a bid to build a strong local value chain.
“The private sector will be driving the growth of Gabon’s energy sector, and the new Code has put in a place a framework which is very encouraging for local companies and entrepreneurs,” NJ Ayuk added.
“It gives an opportunity for the Gabon Oil Company to be a key player in driving up partnerships across the country’s oil & gas sector while providing opportunities for the local private sector to grow along. We truly look forward to supporting the country into this new journey.”
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: We Can’t Be Compelled To Reduce Fuel Price-OMCs
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, have stated categorically that nobody can compel them to reduce the prices of fuel products as a result of the fall in crude oil price on the international market as well as the stability of the Ghanaian cedi.
Addressing a press conference in Accra, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, said though the OMCs have witnessed marginal reduction in the price of the commodity, taxes on the product, compounded by huge interests on loans, as well as high production cost over the past one year would not allow them to immediately reduce prices at the pump.
“The issue of some people sitting somewhere instructing OMCs to reduce their prices don’t work. It doesn’t work anywhere. You need to leave the OMCs to do what they want to do. Of cause you are at liberty to form your own opinions to just say anything but the bottom line is, the OMCs have to see whether it is running safe or not,” he explained.
The parameters for defining pricing, he explained, factoring in production costs and other auxiliaries must be right to determine price mechanisms in any business.
“So you ought to be right as you don’t talk about just little price fluctuations to either decrease or increase prices of commodities,” he added.
Agyeman-Duah was of the view that there was a time that prices at the world market sky-rocketed but the BDCs did not assist them to stay in business.
He said they had to go for loans with high interests to stay in business.
“In this industry, liquidity is the key issue. If you have to go for cash and you don’t have it, you have to go to the bank. The bank will also add their interest. So, financing cost is also involved in the dynamics. That is why we have this kind of situation. It is not a straight jacket like that, but what I am saying is that we won’t do anything to kill anybody in the industry because we live on the people,” he assured their customers.
He contended that should they keep the price so high for a long time and people refuse to buy, if the world market price continues to fall, it could negatively affect their business.
He added that the OMCs would respond appropriately when the time is due.
He further stated that Ghana’s law on company insolvency fails to protect struggling businesses and it makes it difficult to take decisions without critically examining all the parameters in corporate governance culture.
“There is one thing in this country…our insolvency laws are not too good. Companies collapse. If insolvency laws are working, it will protect you in trouble but not in this case.
“If you are collapsing, you are responsible for everything,” he bemoaned.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: VRA Senior Staff Congratulates IES Boss On His Enstoolment As Ankobeahene Of Ekumfi Traditional Council
The Senior Staff Association of Ghana’s leading power generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA) has congratulated the Executive Director of Institute for Energy Security (IES), Paa Kwasi Anamua Sakyi for his enstoolment as the Ankobeahene of Ekumfi Traditional Council in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana.
Mr Anamua Sakyi, a former staff of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited was, last week, enstooled as chief of Ekumfi Abor and Ankobeahene of Ekumfi Traditional Council.
His stool name will be Nana Amoasi VII.
In a message congratulating his enstoolment, the VRA’s Senior Staff Association said: “Your enstoolment is a mark of the selfless, dedicated and sacrificial services you render for the love of your country and mankind.
“The characteristics of a servant leader; listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuation, conceptualisation, foresight and stewardship to mention but a few, are clearly manifested by your stance on issues and willingness to speak out. It is, therefore, not surprising and, indeed, heartwarning to hear the news of your enstoolment.
“We pray for the blessings and protection powers of the Almighty God over you to wisdomly perform this noble and highly responsible additional role to His Glory. Congratulations.”
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Nigeria: Keppel Fixes Up Yinson FPSO For Operations Offshore
Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has said it has delivered the world’s fastest brownfield floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) modification and upgrading project.
Named FPSO Abigail-Joseph, the vessel was delivered to Yinson, Keppel said on Wednesday.
Keppel also said that its scope on this project included refurbishment and life extension work, engineering and procurement, fabrication and installation of new structures including the helideck and riser balcony, as well as the installation, integration, and completion of topside modules.
Chartered by First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company (First E&P) on a firm seven-year contract with options to extend, the FPSO Abigail-Joseph will be deployed in Block OML 83/85 in the Anyala-Madu field, Niger State, Nigeria.
It would be recalled that after months of negotiations, Malaysia’s Yinson and Nigerian First E&P in February 2019 executed an FPSO contract. It was agreed that First would hire the FPSO, to be named Abigail-Joseph, and deploy it on the Anyala & Madu. The value of the charter was $617 million. The FPSO is expected to start operations at the fields by the fourth quarter of 2019.
FPSO Abigail-Joseph has a processing capacity of 50,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and 60,000 barrels of liquid per day (blpd). It also has a gas compression capacity of 34 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) and a storage capacity of not less than 550,000 barrels of oil. It is designed for 15 years of operations without dry docking.
“This is our 134th floating production vessel, and we are pleased to be able to fast-track the project and upgrade it in under seven months. This achievement reflects Keppel’s track record of reliability and quality, anchored in our strong engineering and project management capabilities, which enable us to offer value adding solutions for customers,” Chris Ong, CEO of Keppel O&M said.
Lim Chern Yuan, Group CEO of Yinson Holdings, added, “This is our third FPSO conversion project with Keppel since 2012, and our close partnership has grown from strength to strength. Leveraging our FPSO expertise and Keppel’s experience in vessel conversions, we are able to achieve this significant industry milestone and bring FPSO Abigail-Joseph to market quickly, maximising its operational uptime.”
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com