Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor has emerged the new chairman at the just-concluded annual general meeting, AGM, of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, which held last week at its Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Okoroafor succeeds Mr. Emeka Ene, who had steered the affairs of PETAN, the Nigerian oil industry’s oldest association over the past four years.

He was elected alongside other new board executives, including: Vice Chairman, Mr. Geoff Onuoha; Secretary, Mr. Lawal Gbolahan; Assistant Secretary, Mr. Wole Ogunsanya; Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nik Odinuwe; Financial Secretary, Mr. Sheba Palama; Treasurer, Mrs. Edith Akwaeke;Conference Chairman, Mr. Ranti Omole;Ex-officio,Mr. Emmanuel Onyekwena and Ex-Officio, Mr. Chubby Ibe Chubby.

PETAN is reputed as the initiator of local content in Nigeria and has been championing the quest for increased local participation in the Nigerian oil and Gas industry, thereby culminating in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Act, 2010.

PETAN is an association of Nigerian indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry. The association was formed to bring together Nigerian Oil & Gas entrepreneurs to create a forum for the exchange of ideas with the major operators and policy makers.

PETAN has been promoting the development of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria through the organisation and participation of Nigerian entrepreneurs in conferences, seminars, workshops, and creating opportunities for Nigerian companies to project themselves in the competitive industry.

PETAN companies and their contractors employ over 20000 Nigerians of which over 60% are graduates. This has a beneficial “domino” effect on economy through the use of local inputs, growth of local expertise and know-how.

Since 2005, PETAN has been solely responsible for organising the Nigerian Pavilion and the exhibition of Nigerian companies at the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, which holds in Houston, Texas every year. It has also created opportunities for Nigerian companies to showcase themselves in other international conferences and exhibitions locally and internationally.