Energy
Chevron Remains Committed To Nigerian Content Development – Swartz
Local content development has been described as critical for the growth and development of Nigeria in the quest to acquire oil and gas technology and build indigenous capacity in the industry.
Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa Business Unit, Jim Swartz made this remark at a Panel session on The Next Frontier for Nigerian Content: Divestments & Offshore Opportunities, during the 2024 edition of the Practical Nigeria Content Forum organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from December 2 to 5, 2024.
Swartz noted that as an industry that thrives on partnership with key stakeholders, the Nigerian oil and gas industry is expected to continue to play an active role in prioritizing Nigeria content development and building local capacity in the industry.
He explained that Chevron believes that its business success in providing affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy is directly tied to the progress and prosperity of the people it works with and the communities where it operates.
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“Our strategy is to leverage our strengths to safely deliver lower carbon energy to a growing world. Our primary objective is to deliver higher returns, lower carbon, and superior stakeholder value in any business environment,” he stated.
According to Swartz, “having made significant investments in Nigeria for over 60 years, Chevron believes that the broad and varied opportunities in the oil and gas industry, can be harnessed to engender economic development, with the appropriate government legislation, policies, and regulations.
“Chevron’s Nigerian Content policy is driven by the vision to be recognized as the petroleum company that works best to foster competence and competitiveness among Nigerian indigenous contractors and suppliers, by adopting the participatory-partnership model,” he remarked
The Chairman and Managing Director noted that Chevron companies in Nigeria had developed and implemented the Local/Nigerian Content development philosophy as far back as 1999, well before the April 2010 enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (“NOGICD Act”).
He stated, “At Chevron, we demonstrate our commitment to the socio-economic development of Nigeria by building mutually beneficial partnerships and supporting the policies of government on Nigerian Content Development. In addition to skills acquisition trainings for Nigerians, Chevron provides contract and procurement opportunities, support for asset acquisition, technical support, and facilitates collaboration on research and development for local community contractors.
“For the last 10 years, CNL has spent an estimated annual average of $1 billion on Nigerian suppliers and service providers. We do all this, not because we are compelled to, but because it is the right thing to do,” he remarked.
Swartz affirmed that Chevron would continue to partner with the NCDMB to boost local capacities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. “We will continue our efforts in capacity building and training of the local talents, our support for research and development and facilitation of partnerships among local businesses”, he concluded.
The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has been named Major Oil Company of the Year for last year by a Nigerian publication, Energy Times.
Biztellers reports that this is in recognition of the company’s contributions to deep-water oil and gas development and the industry generally.
Energy Times also awarded the title of Amazon of Nigeria’s Oil Sector for 2024 to Elohor Aiboni, a former Managing Director of SNEPCo now on international assignment in Brunei.
The awards were presented to SNEPCo’s Senior Operations Manager, Bolanle Odunayo-Ojo, who represented the Managing Director, Ronald Adams at a ceremony attended by key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
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“We are honored to receive the recognitions for the company and our former Managing Director as they underscore our dedication to excellence in the upstream sector,” Bolanle stated. “The modest achievements are result from teamwork and support by our partners, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and regulatory agencies. The awards encourage us to continue to work together to power progress and innovation in Nigeria’s energy landscape.”
The SNEPCo has been a pioneer in Nigeria’s deep-water oil and gas production since it began production from Bonga in 2005, Nigeria’s first deep-water well. Gas from Bonga is also piped to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited at Bonny Island. SNEPCo’s operations have led to significant discoveries, including Bonga Southwest in 2001 and Bonga Northwest, which began production on August 5, 2014.
In its award, the Board of Directors of Energy Times pointed to the continuing success of Bonga, notably production of the 1 billionth barrel of oil in February 2023 and the recent Final Investment Decision on the $5 billion Bonga North project.
The award on Aiboni’s highlights a career that has seen her serve in various business and leadership roles within and outside Nigeria. She was appointed Managing Director of SNEPCo in 2021 and led initiatives that deepened operational efficiency, local content development and social investment projects across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo,) one of the sponsors of the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF) has commended it as a platform for driving change in Nigeria’s energy sector through the discussions that centre on business performance, cost discipline and process simplification.
“This event is special to the Shell brand, not only because of the nostalgia of Oloibiri but the quality of discourse it has enabled in our sector over the years,” SNEPCO Managing Director Ronald Adams said in a goodwill speech delivered by General Manager, Wells and Geosciences Operations Joe Mordi. He said: “We are grateful to the Society of Petroleum Engineers and our host the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for another successful outing.”
Organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum began in 1991, in commemoration of the country’s first commercial oil discovery by Shell at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, in 1956. Ronald said recent developments in the Upstream and Downstream sectors of the energy industry, including the $5-billion final investment decision by Shell in the Bonga North Deepwater project echoed the sentiments around the first oil discovery.
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He noted that, “These strides come with a commitment to excellence required of us – for stakeholders, colleagues, our country and indeed, future generations. The theme for this year ‘Driving energy sustainability through technology, policy and supply chain excellence’ reflects this commitment. The future is bright, and we have the opportunity to co-create it.”
In line with its continuous improvement culture, the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) will be working closely with its stakeholders to improve operational efficiency in its domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (DLPG) supply in Nigeria.
According to a statement from its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, this was highlighted at an engagement session with stakeholders in Lagos.
It was gathered that the NLNG plans to enhance engagement and improve operational efficiency of its LPG supply through digitalisation of some of its processes which include a new platform designed to streamline regulatory processes, optimise risk management, and enhance the buyer experience. The platform will feature IT-supported relationship management, automated issue resolution, centralised real-time payments, and improved case management systems, ensuring a seamless supply process despite market shifts and external pressures.
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Manager, Commercial Contract Management, NLNG, Tolulope Longe, reiterated that the planned improvements will enable and consolidate NLNG’s resolve to delivering 100% of its LPG supply to the Nigerian market.
She said a strategic roadmap was in play to ensure the achievement of NLNG’s longstanding goals of LPG being accessible and available in the country, aligning with its vision of being a globally competitive energy company, improving lives sustainably. She also harped on the significance of these improvement initiatives and the Company’s push for LPG utilisation as a clean energy source alternative to kerosene and other fossil fuels
Longe noted that the Company remained focused on growth and sustainability of the LPG market by continuously enhancing its supply processes in collaboration with offtakers. She stressed NLNG’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to maintain pricing stability and long-term market viability. While acknowledging industry concerns, she noted the importance of operational efficiency in meeting market demands.
NLNG aims to strengthen stakeholder engagement and improve market efficiency in the LPG sector through enhanced customer interactions, minimised schedule disruptions, timely confirmations and deliveries, and prioritisation of customers with demonstrable capacity. As it adapts to market realities, NLNG remains committed to driving sustainability and delivering lasting value to Nigerians.
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