General Electric deploys 75mw gas turbines to PH refinery

As part of the efforts to overcome power outages at Port Harcourt Refinery, General Electricity has supplied GEL Utility Limited with three 25-megawatt (MW) trailer-mounted TM2500+ aero-derivative gas turbines to generate uninterrupted power at the refinery.

The installation by GEL Utility Limited of GE’s mobile gas turbines at the refinery will also ensure the country’s largest oil refinery has the power it needs to overcome chronic grid outages and return to full capacity for refining.

Grid outages have reduced PHRC’s output to 30 percent of its total maximum capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.

The outages and other factors have also forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and private marketers to import large volumes of refined petroleum products to meet the country’s domestic needs.

To help address the chronic power challenges at the refinery, Genesis Electricity Limited, an independent power producer and one of the owners of GEL Utility Limited signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with NNPC for the installation of GE’s TM2500+ units at the 49-year-old refinery.
The TM2500+ gas turbines will provide both the base-load and back-up power to support refinery operations.

FG submits Alison-Madueke’s name for OPEC Secretary-General’s post

The federal government has nominated the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to succeed the long-serving incumbent Abdullah al-Badri as the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Iraq’s oil minister said  Tuesday.

The proposal is aimed at solving the deadlock over the post created by opposing candidates from Saudi Arabia and Iran, Abdul Kareem Luaibi was quoted by the Reuters news agency as stating.
Luaibi added that Iraq continues to back its own candidate, and the issue remained unresolved. Badri’s latest term in the office ends in December.

If the Nigerian candidacy is successful, Alison-Madueke would be OPEC’s first female to hold the post and would have to relinquish her post as the petroleum minister.

Nigeria’s oil industry attraction undermined by risks

With highly under-explored oil and gas resources in the country presenting significant upside potential for investors, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry would have seen huge foreign direct investment in recent times but for the risks and challenges plaguing the industry.

Over the past few years, the growing operating risks such as crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism especially on the onshore, pirate attacks on Nigerian waters where oil vessels are usually targeted and the uncertainty in the industry engendered  by the long-delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), have taken a toll on the industry.

A recent report by IHS, leading global provider of diverse global market and economic information, said international oil majors were reducing their exposure to Nigeria’s onshore due to worsening security and lower profitability combined with continuing regulatory uncertainty.

Josh Holland, senior analyst and Bruce Roderick, energy analyst at IHS Energy Insight, said the intensification of oil majors’ divestment programmes in Nigeria has cast uncertainty over prospects for new investment, particularly where onshore oil is concerned.

Tony Attah is SNEPCO’s new boss

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) has appointed Mr. Tony Attah as its new Managing Director.

SNEPCO is the subsidiary company of Shell Petroleum responsible for Nigeria’s prolific deepwater operations.
Attah, who took over from Chike Onyejekwe, was a 1987 graduate of mechanical engineering from the University of Benin.

He was, until this assignment, Vice President of Human Resources at Shell Sub Saharan Africa where he focused on talent development and resourcing the business to maintain competitive edge while providing support to the company as a business leader.

NLNG finds bigger market in Japan

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has found a bigger market in Japan, after the United States (US) stopped patronising it. The US stopped buying gas from Nigeria following its discovery and production of shale gas.
NLNG Managing Director Babs Omotowa said in Lagos during the company’s presentation of its 2014 facts and figures that the US accounted for 35 per cent of its market. But that doesn’t exist because of shale oil, he said, adding that NLNG has found even a bigger market in the Far East. “Japan is our largest market now,” he said.

He explained that the loss of the US market would not affect NLNG’s operations and sales because the supply contracts are long term, which will last for over 20 years. NLNG, he said, is also exploring other markets depending on availability of gas.

The NLNG chief said the  Train 7 project is on course, explaining that the delay in the construction of the train is caused by gas supply. According to him, the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and funding are some of the challenges affecting the gas suppliers of the project. He however noted that the pre-final investment decision (FID) processes are being concluded.