Aveon Offshore to Produce Pressure Vessels in Nigeria

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Aveon Offshore Limited (AOL), an oil services company, has made history following its being awarded the MANCAP certification by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to manufacture pressure vessels in Nigeria.

By this feat, Aveon has become the first MANCAP certified pressure vessels manufacturers in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

Speaking during the formal presentation of the certificate last weekend in Port Harcourt, the Director General of SON, Mr. Farouk Salim, stressed that “this milestone achievement in the pursuit of service excellence is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by all oil and gas, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing companies in Nigeria.”

Salim said: “The process approach deployed by your company in producing your product aligns with ISO 17020, ISO 17065 and the ASME standards requirements applicable for the design and construction of pressure vessels.

“Your adoption of quality management system framework reflects your vision to deliver quality products to your customers at all times and I am confident that this focus on production of quality products will also strengthen your relationship with your customers and stakeholders.”

Also speaking at the epoch making event, Acting Director of SON in charge of South-South Region, Dr. Samuel Ayuba, expressed satisfaction “that SON has built capacity to carrying out this assessment of pressure vessels that are used in the oil and gas industry and even to the level of carrying out the certification of the vessels.”

Ayuba said that the achievement showed that the oil and gas service company in the country have the competence to produce equipment that are acceptable globally, which would reduce the cases of relying on foreign organisation.

He said: “For AVL to be able to get MANCAP certification, it shows that they are capable of producing equipment that can be acceptable anywhere in the world. So is a very big plus to them and we are happy and we are adding value to the Nigeria oil industry.

“The millions of dollars allocated in the repair, refurbishment of refineries, most of these goes to the equipment that are used either to service them, to change them or to order fresh one. I think with this now, they don’t need to travel anywhere to buy this equipment or refurbish them.

“All they need to do is to contact AOL and similar organisations that produce this equipment at a quality that meets the standard and patronise them. It takes about six months to bring on vessels from abroad to Nigeria, while here you can fabricate, move it within one day to the refinery.”

Speaking with THISDAY at the event, the Engineering Manager of AOL, Awa Osonwa, said: “Today, AOL has become the first industry in the oil and gas sector to manufacture pressure vessels, to receive certification from Standard Organization of Nigeria.

“For me is a great achievement because we have had companies that are manufacturing pressure vessels for the past 20 years and yet, Aveon Offshore just started few year ago and have gone a step ahead to get certification.”