During the 8^th Edition of the Sub-Saharan International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) 2024 conference with the theme: THE NEXT STEPS – ACCELERATING AFRICAN CONTENT, Engr. Chuka David Eze, FNATE, the esteemed Managing Director of Frazimex Engineering Limited (Oilserv Group), delivered an enlightening contribution during the panel discussion focused on African Gas Strategies and Opportunities for regional subcontractors. 

In the company of other distinguished and experienced industry African leaders from Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique, Engr. Eze delved into the myriad of opportunities within Africa’s gas and power generation sector, highlighting projects with significant multimillion-dollar potential aimed at reducing the number of Africans without access to power and cooking gas.

Engr. Chuka emphasized the importance of effective collaboration and knowledge sharing among regional contractors to maximize their participation in these projects. He also shared success stories of local subcontractors who have successfully tapped into the African gas market, inspiring others to seize the available opportunities and contribute to the continent’s energy transformation through consistent performance and quality service delivery that meets customers’ requirements and satisfaction.

A central theme of his discourse was the commendable role played by Oilserv in spearheading the engineering construction of vital gas infrastructure. He specifically cited the successful completion of the operational Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) project which is a 48” x 124 km Gas pipeline with a central Processing Facility of Capacity 2bscf/day and the ongoing Segment 1 of Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) project comprising of 303.4km x 40” Gas Pipeline, 12nos block gas stations, 2nos Terminal Gas Station, 1no Intermediate Pigging station and 24” x 15km gas spur line involving about 140 minor and major rivers, 18nos minor and major roads, and 2nos railways.

The detailed Engineering Design (DED)of the above projects are performed in-country Nigeria by Frazimex Engineering Limited utilizing experienced Nigerian disciplines engineers. Noteworthy is the AKK project’s innovative approach to surmounting challenges, including the utilization of the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and Horizontal Thrust boring (HTB) techniques to navigate diverse terrains and conquer obstacles for the river and road crossings. 

The AKK project’s use of these techniques has proven to be highly successful and efficient in ensuring the seamless laying of pipelines across the various terrains. Additionally, the successful implementation of these techniques has also enhanced the overall safety and environmental sustainability of the project.

Engr. Chuka further advocated for industry peers to embrace the strategic methodologies employed by the Oilserv Group. He underscored the paramount importance of building and demonstrating capability, competence, and capacity in project execution to ensure that projects are executed safely and timely in order to encourage and attract the project sponsors and investors who want timely return on their investments to invest more in Gas infrastructure projects in African. Additionally, he emphasized the value of drawing lessons from past experiences, investing in personnel training to enhance skills, fostering trust among stakeholders, nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships, and adhering to high corporate governance standards and best industry practices. He recommends that the government and IOCs/NOCs should consider n + n contractor’s philosophy (i.e. If a contract is intended to be given to the main “n” contractor, then this “n” contractor must have “n” subcontractor in the project) to ensure that adequate and sustainable competent service providers to consistently delivery of unparalleled value. Engr. Chuka also highlighted the significance of leveraging technological advancements and innovation to stay ahead in the industry. He stressed the need for continuous improvement and adaptation to meet evolving client demands and market trends. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing to foster creativity and drive successful project outcomes.