The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, accompanied by senior officials of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), on Tuesday undertook a tour of facilities at Brightwaters Energy Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The tour of the company’s facilities at Choba, Port Harcourt, and Emohua in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State was a follow-up to the NCDMB boss’s earlier visit to the company and some pipe coating facilities in May 2024.
During that visit, he pledged the Board’s support for local service companies by providing them with opportunities in the oil and gas industry and fostering job creation in the economy.
The latest visit aimed to assess Brightwaters Energy’s upgraded technical capabilities, positioning the company for upcoming industry projects.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Engr. Ogbe reiterated the Board’s commitment to ensuring that the capabilities of local oil and gas service companies are recognised and fully utilised by operating companies in the industry. This, he noted, would enhance local content and generate employment, aligning with the economic aspirations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The Executive Secretary recalled that Brightwaters had demonstrated strong performance in executing projects in the exploration and production segment of the industry over the years, with a clientele that includes SPDC and Chevron Nigeria Limited, among other major oil and gas operators. He expressed confidence that the company possesses the required capacity for key scopes in upcoming industry projects.
He urged operating oil and gas companies to consistently support qualified service providers while ensuring the delivery of high-quality services on schedule.
In his opening remarks at the event, the Community and Corporate Affairs Manager of Brightwaters, Mr. Solomon Aluge, confirmed that the firm had been engaging with the SPDC team and was fully equipped to undertake both heavy and light fabrication works.
He highlighted Brightwaters’ extensive experience in executing onshore and offshore pipeline engineering and installation projects for various clients.
Elaborating on the company’s scope of operations within the oil and gas sector, he noted that Brightwaters is “mobilising for Chevron and Tulcan pipeline works” at present.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Brightwaters, Mr. Scott Gregory, expressed his appreciation for the presence of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Ogbe, and the representatives of SPDC. He assured them that the company possesses substantial capabilities for delivering services in the oil and gas industry.
He provided technical details of several projects executed by the company offshore and onshore over its many years of operation in Nigeria, emphasising that some of the upcoming field projects were well within the company’s competencies.
Among the key facilities visited during the tour were a blast furnace, where the smelting process was demonstrated with hot compressed air blasted into the furnace from below, and a multipurpose offshore construction vessel known as Sea Horizon Derrick Lay Barge, with a heavy-lift capacity of 1,320 tonnes.
According to the company, marine construction activities performed by the vessel include “installation of rigid and flexible pipelines, risers, and umbilicals [flexible hoses that connect surface equipment to subsea equipment].”
Following the facility tour, the General Manager, Local Content, Shell, Mr. Lanre Olawuyi, expressed his company’s positive impressions of Brightwaters Energy’s facilities and capabilities. He affirmed that the technical teams would review their reports and determine how to engage the company in some of their upcoming projects.
He was particularly pleased that the company had upgraded its facilities since the last visit in May 2024 and expressed optimism that this development would attract greater patronage from the oil industry, helping the company regain its former prominence.
On the Executive Secretary’s entourage were the Director, Project Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele; Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi; and a technical staff member in the Executive Secretary’s office, Mr. Ilu Ozekhome.
