IPMC to Tackle Nigeria’s Oil Output Decline, Reduce Production Cost by 15%

Peter Uzoho

The Independent Project Monitoring Company Limited (IPMC), has introduced an asset integrity management software called, ‘VAIL-Plant Inspection Software’ for the Nigerian oil and gas industry which it said, will help operators to boost the nation’s oil production by keeping facilities in good condition.  

The solution provider also said the software has the capacity to bring down the cost of oil production in Nigeria by between 10 to 15 per cent.

The Chairman of IPMC, Mr. Robert Ade-Odiachi, told THISDAY on the sidelines of the IPMC-VAIL Inspection Software Solution for Asset Integrity Managers’ conference held in Lagos, that the unique technology was designed to address critical challenges posed by ageing infrastructure in Nigeria’s oil and gas production and evacuation facilities.

Ade-Odiachi said the software offers 12 modules for clients, including the Asset Performance Management System (APMS), Pressurised Equipment Management System (PEMS), Structure Integrity Management System (SIMS), and Pipeline Integrity Management System (PIMS), Electrical Instrument and Rotary Management Systems, Pressure Safety Valves Management Systems (PSVMS), and Lifting Equipment Management System (LEMS) among others.

He pointed out that oil production assets in the country were decades old and had not been properly maintained for years, adding that most of Nigeria’s oil production facilities ranging from pipelines to flow stations were in a dilapidated state, contributing to reduced production capacity.

Also speaking, the Senior Manager of Asset Integrity at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Albert Echibe, highlighted the regulator’s commitment to ensuring compliance in asset management and production processes.

He commended IPMC for introducing the technology to the industry, expressing his satisfaction with the VAIL-Plant software for its real-time monitoring features, which would allow NUPRC to oversee operators’ maintenance activities remotely.

“We can now view the integrity status of critical infrastructure directly from the regulator’s office, and this will help us enforce the guidelines we set in 2023,” Echibe said.

He emphasised that the regulator was actively working with operators to ensure that guidelines were followed.