The Nigerian government has announced the commencement of the feasibility study for the construction of a shipyard in Brass Island, Bayelsa State, in the Niger Delta region to maintain and repair cargo vessels, oil tankers and LNG carriers
The Nigerian oil sector spent US$3.047bn on marine vessels between 2014-2018. (Image source: kees torn/Flickr)
Simbi Wabote, an engineer executive secretary of the National Content Development and Monitoring Board, the Nigerian special local content institution driving the feasibility study with the Nigerian LNG said that there are over 20,000 ships working for oil and gas sector in Nigerian waters and the annual spend was more than US$600 in the upstream sector.
According to him, the Nigerian oil sector spent US$3.047bn on marine vessels between 2014-2018 and 73 per cent of the total spent went to crew boats, security, support, fast supply intervention, launch and shallow-draft vessels.
Wabote said most of the vessels that operate in the Nigerian waters were dry-docked in the West African shipyards and other African countries because the dry docks in Nigeria were built many years ago and no longer provided the required services.
Constructing its own shipyard, Nigerian government officials believe, will domicile major oil and gas industry infrastructure and increase retention of industry spend.
Timipre Sylva, Junior Minister of Petroleum Resources, pointed out that a dry dock presents an opportunity to retain substantial value in the country.
– Oil Review.