BY GODWIN ORITSE

FENOG, one of the indigenous contracting companies with Chevron, one of the International Oil Companies (IOCs)  has broken new grounds with Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) system that can lay pipelines to as much as 60 meters below the sea.

The firm is currently one of the leading Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Companies in the oil and gas industry in the entire West African region. It also provides installation services that is second to none, facilitate facilities for drilling and digging operations, and the necessary machinery and components, pivotal to all its operations.

Fenog specializes in installations in extreme weather and climatic conditions, and on difficult terrain in onshore and offshore locations. Whether the installation is a fixed platform anchored to the seabed, or gas pipeline laying meters below the water surface, Fenog has the expertise and technology to undertake these projects.

The company commends the promulgation of the Nigerian Content Law which it says has not only been a blessing, it has also enhanced its businesses in the sector. Some of the staff who spoke to SweetCrude, said that the local content law has opened the firm to lots of projects that were hitherto the reserve of foreign companies.”Three to five years ago, jobs that indigenous firms could not bid are now being competed for by Nigerian companies.

“This new experience has brought some level of exposure for local firms and technological advancement as well. FENOG is currently pioneering the Continuous Horizontal Directional Drilling (CHDD) system in the African continent with 20 x 67km pipeline construction.

Fenog carries out non-vertical drilling with skill and precision. HDD enables high performance drilling, without disturbing the environment and leaving only a small cost of clean-up afterwards, without exposing clients to risk of grievance. The company uses state of the art HDD   equipment in all its HDD operations while Fenog’s staff are adept at implementation of HDD technology.

Fenog ensures that directional drillers are advised by engineers and geologists prior to the commencement of any non-vertical drilling. It has set a record in Africa when the company attained 1631 metres of HDD to a depth of 40 ft, during the Escravos/Warri Gas to Liquid project, which was the expansion of the Escravos/Lagos gas pipeline. Directional drilling crossed below the Escravos River allowing it to stay open while the use of conventional drilling methods would have implied the river closure for approximately 9 months

Fenog has a reputation for meticulously planning the minutia of project stages prior to implementation and in this Fenog professionals excel. Fenog places as much importance on the preparatory stages of a project as on the implementation stages.

It is Fenog’s belief that careful planning provides the foundation on which every subsequent stage is based. Good plans eliminate future crises and ultimately save on clients budgets, and mean projects are completed on time. Key to the process are Fenog’s professional staff, who are involved at every stage ensuring seamless transitions as project stages progress and, in so doing, achieve crucial continuity of work.