The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content has described the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) of Total Upstream Nig. Ltd. as a pride for Nigeria.
The committee Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Ekon, made commendation during a tour of the project site by the committee on Friday.
NAN reports that the committee embarked on the tour along with its counterpart on Gas Resources.
The project was sited in Lagos.
Ekon said: “What I am seeing means that local content is working. Egina Project was the first project after the Local Content Law was signed.
“A lot has been said about local content on Egina FPSO project; so, it was necessary for me to lead the members of the Committee on Local Content to come and see the Egina FPSO.
“Our presence here has answered a lot of questions. I am happy local content is working, but there is a lot more that we can do.
“I am satisfied; integration is done here, this is a plus for us.”
Ekon called on other multinational companies in the country to emulate Total.
“International oil companies should emulate what Total has done here; Total has kept faith with the Nigerian project. Don’t sit down and think it cannot be possible,” Ekon said.
Mr Frederick Agbedi, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Gas Resources, also hailed Total for the feat.
He said that the committee members were satisfied that 80 per cent of local content was consideration in Egina FPSO.
“With new technologies coming in, we are convinced that you will have access to more productions as well as more money for Joint Ventures,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Nicolas Terraz, the Managing Director, Total Exploration and Production, Nigeria, said that the project was a milestone in terms of local content.
Nicolas added that the project was a game changer for the execution of deep water oil and gas projects in Nigeria.
“Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd. is proud of this achievement.
“Today, we want to share this pride with you and express our thanks for your support.
“The plan is now to complete these integration works within a period of six months, and our target is to achieve the sail away of FPSO to its final location in Egina Field by July.
“Let me assure you that Total is working relentlessly to deliver this project within the initial budget of $16 billion and even below that,” Terraz said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Egina Field was discovered in 2003 within the Oil Mining Licence (OML) 130, some 200km South of Port Harcourt. (NAN)