A new infrastructure; National Oil and Gas Excellence Centre (NOGEC), built by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), aims to address critical challenges and create a more stable and sustainable business environment.
The project, billed to be inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari later this month, will, according to the Director of DPR, Sarki Auwalu, drive safety, value and cost efficiency which are critical for oil and gas industry stability, growth and sustainability. Auwalu said the infrastructure will afford the Nigerian petroleum industry the elements for competitive advantage in a changing global energy landscape
“The integrated centre will also entrench Nigeria’s status as a regional leader and position the nation for significant global impact in the provision of value-added services and breakthrough solutions for the industry in years and decades to come,” Auwalu said in a statement.
The NOGEC is expected to house the various flagship centres to comprehensively cover key areas of the industry. The centres included Search, Rescue and Surveillance (SeRAS); Command and Control Centre; and National improved Oil Recovery Centre (NIORC); Oil and Gas Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC); Oil and Gas Competence Development Centre (CDC); and Integrated Data Mining and Analytics Centre (IDMAC).
“SeRAS is an industry-wide programme established to enhance safety management, emergency preparedness and response as well as bed space management and logistics services across the industry. SeRAS will entrench safe practices, drive cost reduction and improve operational efficiency across the industry,” Auwalu stated.
NIORC is expected to formulate and implement strategies for improved and enhanced oil recovery methods in the industry for the purpose of achieving maximum production at the lowest possible cost, the Department said.
Auwalu disclosed that the agency would partner with operators and technology innovators in research and development efforts to achieve projected objectives, adding that it would collaborate with similar international oil and gas regulators in sharing lessons learnt and operational best practices.
The Oil and Gas DRC in the centre is expected to offer arbitration, mediation and conciliation services to the Industry, as Auwalu noted that the centre would leverage industry technical experts, Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners and resources of the National Data Repository (NDR) to provide fair and balanced resolutions of industry-related disputes from an informed position.
