By Adewale Sanyaolu
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have said the coming on stream of 650,000 barrels per day(bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery will secure the future of Nigerian engineers and put them at par with their counterparts in the global oil and gas industry.
The duo stated this during a tour of the petroleum refinery project recently, assuring that the refining facility is capable of redefining Nigeria’s domestic fuels production.
Speaking after the tour of the refinery and petrochemical project, Chairman of SPE, Prof. Olalekan Olafuyi, disclosed that the visit was necessitated by the need for members to see the reality of the massive project.
According to him, “much has been heard and written regarding the refinery. Coming here has given us the opportunity to see the level of completion, application of world class technology and massive equipment which are new to the Nigerian downstream oil and gas industry.
“We have heard before about Dangote Petroleum Refinery and have also seen that the project is for real. After touring the refinery, we are amazed by the level of work that has already been done and we are eagerly waiting for its completion. We are happy with what we have seen. Dangote is doing a great job with the construction of a world class petroleum refinery. It is remarkable that a Nigerian company is building a world-class project.”
Also speaking, Director of planning Research & Statistics, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, Patrick Obah stated that the Dangote refinery which is Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s largest single-train facility is contributing the implementation of the Nigerian Content Policy through its engagement of Nigerian engineers.
Obah said: “It is awesome that this kind of project is happening here in Nigeria. For the first time I saw a tank that could hold 120 million liters of liquid at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery plant. We are indeed happy that we have this kind of facility here in Nigeria. The visit is very enriching for members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Nigerian Content Board. There is no doubt that the project gives inspiration to all visitors who come on a tour of the refinery. The refinery plant gives a lot of hope to Nigerians. It is important for us to grow local capacity that will be able to fit into the energy demand of tomorrow.”
He therefore commended the Dangote Group for investing massively into the country’s oil and gas industry.
Welcoming the guests, AGM, Learning & Development & Stakeholder Relationship Management Dangote Projects, Dr. Ebele Oputa, stated that the company is dedicated to the training of young engineers in Refinery Operations outside oversea and within the country.
She said some young engineers employed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery are under currently pursuing doctorate and masters’ degree in some reputable universities in Nigeria.
“We target to train over 900 young graduates who are expected to operate the Refinery at completion. Another 10 Mechanical Engineers have also been trained in the General Electric University in Italy. 50 Process Engineers have received training from Honeywell/UOP for six months; 50 Management Trainees have completed their training in the Dangote business.