By Michael Eboh

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, on Thursday, said it has directed the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, to evaluate the capabilities of indigenous companies, who are beneficiaries of the Project 100 programme, and engage them in the execution of the Train 7 project and other related services.

In a statement in Abuja, NCDMB said the directive was contained in a recent letter by its Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, to the Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Tony Attah, entitled “Introducing Project 100 Beneficiaries for Consideration on NLNG Projects.”

Wabote also enclosed in the letter the list of the Project 100 companies, the range of services they offer to the oil and gas industry and their track records.

Wabote, however, noted that in this particular instance, NLNG is expected to conduct its own due diligence on the capacity of the listed companies and based on its judgement of their proven capacities, engage them for the Train 7 project.

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According to Wabote, NLNG should note that the involvement of Project 100 companies in its supply chain would be a major boost in the quest to collectively support local companies to become large enterprises and deepen local content practice in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

He said: “The areas of competencies of the Project 100 beneficiaries include exploration, subsurface and seismic services, fabrication and construction, Front End Energy Design, FEED, detailed and other engineering services, marine services and operations and inspection, testing and certification.

“Other key areas of competencies are inspection, hookup and commissioning, material and procurement, project management and consulting, well drilling services and petroleum technology as well as maintenance and modification among others.”

Wabote explained that Project 100 was conceived to identify 100 start-up oil and gas companies and support them through special interventions to facilitate their incubation, maturation and growth into world class service companies.

He said the programme was introduced as part of the NCDMB’s mandate to develop the capacity of the local supply chain for effective and efficient service delivery in the oil and gas industry.

According to the NCDMB chief executive, the first phase began in January 2019 and 60 companies were selected through a transparent process conducted by KPMG, an international consultancy firm.

He added that the benefits of the scheme included special interventions, including access to market opportunities, access to capacity building, funding, policy prescription, research and development and business insight.

He said: “The Board has been giving these support to the companies and is committed to continue as well as offer other institutional assistance to aid the companies’ maturation into world class status.

“As part of its access to market intervention, NCDMB will regularly recommend Project 100 Companies to project promoters and big Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) companies, for them to independently assess their capabilities for the purpose of creating business opportunities.”

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