Firm Pledges to Deliver on NLNG Train 7

Peter Uzoho

AOS Orwell, an oil and gas company, has indicated its readiness to participate actively in the Nigeria LNG Train7 and Bonga South West Aparo Projects, two of the major oil industry projects expected to commence soon in the country.

AOS Orwell is operating in Nigeria and Ghana, in the areas of Wellbore Construction, Process Automation and Control, and Oilfield Tubular and Accessory Manufacturing and Repair services.
Known to be the largest fishing company in West Africa, the company has also gained recognition as one of the largest Machine Shops in Nigeria, fully owning and operating three Machine shops across Trans-Amadi, in PortHarcourt and Onne in Rivers State, and Takoradi in Ghana.

The Managing Director, AOS Orwell, Mr. Femi Omotayo, said in Lagos, during an interview with journalists that the firm has built enough capacity in its people and in its multi-million-dollar facility, to sufficiently deliver on both ground-breaking projects.

“We will be working on the Train 7 project. We are partners with the winners (Saipem Consortium). So we are looking to provide end-to-end services on the valves aspect of the project.
“We are working to offer enough value to be able to offer that one-stop-shop solution as far as it concerns valves.

“We are big enough to give the guarantees with both local and international manufacturing, infrastructure and partnerships in place. We will also be working with them on skids.

“So, chemical injections and things like that. We will work on electricals as well. We have our facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which will handle Low Voltage/Medium Voltage switchgears in-country. Also, Bonga South West is something we all are looking forward to. We are hopeful,” Omotayo said.

Omotayo further stated that the outlook for Africa’s oil and gas industry was really positive in the middle of troubled operating and economic headwinds, noting that with oil prices steadily on the rise towards pre-collapse levels, internal and external conditions had arm-twisted oil and gas companies to be more efficient.
“This no doubt has impacted on the way indigenous companies in the oilfield servicing industry operate. Investors as well, more than ever, have an increased need for clarity and certainty in making key investments against this backdrop,” he said.

On the impact of the Local Content Act and its implementation on indigenous companies, he described the Act as, “a jewel for indigenous companies operating in Nigeria.”
According to him, “that singular Act built what we see today through the past nine years. We are coming from a mental headspace where I was told that Africans cannot handle control systems.
“Today, all that has changed. Specifically, for us at AOS Orwell, we build capacity in our locals to the point where we are able to maintain world-class standards.

“Today, when I walk into our workshop and see our local boys handling the same control system wires, I get a good feeling. This is very encouraging and the industry has been very supportive. There is a lot of trust and belief in the system today.

“This has paved the way for investment to thrive. And there has been a lot of investment. Nigerian companies have invested heavily towards the growth and development of local content.

“For us at AOS Orwell, we have always been committed to local content even before the law backed it up. We have two world-class schools, one in Lagos, and the other in Port Harcourt, where we train young indigenous engineers and help them build capacity in the areas of process automation and control and the other in fishing.

“All together, we are quite happy with the Local Content Act and we are extremely happy with what the leadership is doing and we give them our full support any day.”