AfricaAfricaCovering Oil, Gas and Hydrocarbon Processing

Volume 7 Issue Five 2012

www.oilreviewafrica.com

Europe m10, Ghana CD18000, Kenya Ksh200, Nigeria N330, South Africa R25, UK £7, USA $12

REGULAR FEATURES: ■ News ■ Contracts ■ Events Calendar ■ IT update ■ Company profiles ■ Products & Innovations

■ Geology - p40 ■ Gas - p42 ■ Exploration - p46 ■ Technology - p58

Nigeria -independents

breaking through

Challenges andopportunities ofAfrica’s O&G

Ghana’s localcapability

South Africa - benefitsfrom Mozambique’sgas fields

Managing theassembly line

Corrosionmanagement

New generationvessels

Understanding subseaseparation

Waste management

Scott Aitken, Co-Chief Executive OfficerAtlantic Energy.See page 20.

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PIPELINE EQUIPMENT ANDservices firm TD Williamson(TDW) has announced thesuccessful completion of a hottapping operation offshoreAngola on behalf of PonticelliAngoil The project, which was TDW’sfirst in Angola, has created apoint that will allow a live flareline to be safely connected to adeposit line attached to a floating production,storage and off oading (FPSO) vessel.Rudy Lenom, project coordinator for TDW in Africa,explained, “By connecting the two lines, theoperator will be able to burn – or flare – anyexcess associated natural gas that is released fromthe oilfield during production.”Despite the cramped working conditions upon theFPSO vessel, TDW took a total of three days to

complete the project, andproduction was at no pointshut down.Ponticelli Angoil projectmanager Herve Cardeau said,“With the requirement that thehot tap operation be carriedout quickly and safely withoutshutting down production, wewere extremely satisfied withTDW’s ability to achieve this

so efficiently, especially in such a small space.“It meant that we realised considerable savingsin time and costs, especially in comparison tothe costs that would have been incurred had webeen required to shut down the line, even for afew hours.”Looking forward, Ponticelli Nigeria Ltd hascommissioned TDW to carry out a series of hottapping operations offshore Nigeria.

6 Oil Review Africa Issue Five 2012

SHELL HAS NETTED US$400mn from the disposal of itsstake in Nigerian onshore block OML 34 after completingthe sale to an indigenous consortium as part of itsdivestment of assets in the volatile Niger Delta region.

ND Western, which comprises Niger Delta Petroleum,Walter Smith and Petrolim, is acquiring Shell’s 30 per centinterest in the lease, having also gained a 15 per centstake from Total and Eni to give it a total of 45 per cent.

Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation willassume control of the block with a 55 per cent stakeinherited from its state-run parent NNPC.

OML 34 covers 950 sq km in Delta State and includesthe Utorogu, Ughelli and Warri River fields and relatedfacilities, with combined production of about 300 mmcfd

of gas and 15,000 bpd of oil and condensate.The latest disposal by Shell follows the recently

completed US$100mn sale of its interest in OML 40 toElcrest.

The OML 34 sale is the seventh such transfer ofNigerian leases carried out by the Anglo-Dutch supermajorsince 2010 as it curbs its exposure in the troubled oilproducing region, where its operations have been hit bymilitant activity and crude theft as well as environmentalissues.

However, Shell said in a statement that it “remainscommitted” to maintaining a long-term presence inNigeria, both onshore and offshore.

MARITIME TRAINING SPECIALIST Seagull, has securedLiberia’s approval for its unique security training package.Liberian approval comes little more than a month afterSeagull announced that it had been awarded NorwegianMaritime Authority (NMA) approval for the new securitytraining package, which is to be made available in October.

Receiving Liberian approval so shortly after gettingNMA approval underscores industry recognition of theimportance of Seagull’s courses in ensuring seafarers aretrained properly in all security matters. Shipowners cannow be confident that their seafarers can demonstrate thenecessary competency and proficiency.

The package complies fully with the Manilaamendments to the STCW Convention and Code, whoserevised version introducing more stringent requirements foronboard security training with particular regard to attacksby pirates came into force in January this year.

Under the amendments, all seafarers must haveapproved ship security training, varying according to theirlevel of responsibility. They must receive generic securityawareness and familiarisation training, while those withspecific security-related roles must have appropriate

training for their role. The new Security Onboard training system offers three

courses certified by Norwegian classification society DetNorsk Veritas through the SeaSkill programme.

Seagull has developed two new CBT training levels. Level1 addresses security-related familiarisation and awareness forall seafarers and Level 2 covers the requirements of seafarerswith designated security duties. The existing SSO course, thedesignated Level 3 of the Seagull Security Onboard trainingsystem, has also been updated.

Level 1 includes two e-learning modules; one onsecurity awareness and one on piracy and armed robbery.These are backed up by a work book including a securityfamiliarisation checklist. Level 2 comprises an onboardcourse for personnel with security duties, which includesthe same two e-learning modules on security awareness,and on piracy and armed robbery.

Level 3 training comprises the same two modules asLevel 1 and 2, CBT 115 Security Awareness and CBT 156Piracy and Armed Robbery, with the addition of a specificSSO e-learning module and workbook. This is deliveredthrough the CBT 121 Ship Security Officer course.

Ind

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Shell cashes in OML 34 chips

Liberia approves Seagull security training

Hot tapping success offshore Angola

A TANZANIAN PARLIAMENTARYcommittee chief has said thecountry’s PetroleumDevelopment Corporation (TPDC)could be split into a regulatorand a national oil company underimpending legislative reforms. "TPDC, as it is now, has massiveconflict of interest as it is both aregulator and investor at thesame time ... This creates a lot ofinefficiencies," Zitto Kabwe,chairman of the parliamentarypublic corporations accountscommittee, which oversees therunning of state agencies, toldReuters.The region's second biggesteconomy has said it expects tohave the country's first-ever gaspolicy in place in November andis drafting a natural gasutilisation master plan andlegislation to regulate theindustry.A keenly-awaited deep-waterlicensing round originallyscheduled for September hasbeen postponed pending aparliamentary vote on the newgas policy.Zitto said the auditing of actualcosts incurred by oil and gascompanies was a big challengefacing the sector."The proposed national oilcompany must take upgovernment shares in privatecompanies with oil blocks,while the regulatory authoritymust enter into contracts andmanage these contracts,including the auditing ofcontracts," he said.Many industry alarm bills wereringing when newly-appointedMinister of Energy & Minerals,Sospeter Muhongo, declared areview of all oil and gas contractsentered into by the TPDC.Some politicians and civilsocieties have called for amoratorium on the issuance ofnew oil and gas explorationrights until Tanzania caneffectively manage its gasreserves.In June, Tanzania nearly tripledits estimate of recoverablenatural gas resources to up to28.74tcf from 10 trillionfollowing recent majordiscoveries.

Tanzania’s TPDC‘may split into two’

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