The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Relocation has commended the management of INTELS Nigeria Limited for building and sustaining high standards in its operations.
Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, who led 12 other members of the Committee on a tour of INTELS facility at the Onne Free Zone in Rivers State on Monday, said he was impressed with what he saw.
He said, “I am impressed. Like I said earlier on, this is an environment I lived on and I have seen a lot of improvement especially in the expansion of the new phases you are bringing up.
“I am highly impressed with the facility on ground, the newly acquired Big Mama Crane, the mother of all cranes you have, the lifting operations; so all we need do is to gain back the confidence in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria so that all these idle vessels, idle hands, idle facilities will become operational again and people will have one or two things to do.”
Hon. Isiaka said the Ad-hoc Committee was set up to prevent the relocation of SPDC from Rivers State because of the potential negative impact such move could have on the Niger Delta region and on the national economy.
“I can assure you that with the confidence we have gained back from Shell and those that were gained from other stakeholders, by the grace of God, we should not be talking about any major oil company leaving Rivers State. The consequences are grave; they are high. The implication is there, so no one should think about it. No one should think about leaving an environment like this. What for? They should just look at grey areas and have them resolved. And that is why the House is going to intervene. The Speaker of the House, in his wisdom, has put this caliber of people together in the committee and you can see what we have done so far,” he said.
While conducting the lawmakers round the expansive facility at the Onne Free Zone, Head of Administration and General Services of INTELS Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chibuisi Onyebueke, said the oil and gas logistics giant has developed a “One-Stop-Shop” concept to enable it provide top class logistics service to industry operators.
He said the Onne Free Zone, which was developed by INTELS, provides a wide range of services needed for all drill and exploration projects in the oil and gas industry in sub-Sahara Africa. These services, according to him, include pipe coating and modifications, sub-sea installations, logistics, accommodation, catering, helipad and a proposed airstrip.
Mr. Onyebueke said INTELS also provides a wide range of port services to its clientele, while attracting much needed investment into Nigeria, and at the same time creating thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
According to him, the company operates with the highest global safety and security standards obtainable in the industry. He said all INTELS’ facilities are fully compliant with provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
INTELS, he said, has an edge over other oil and gas free zones on the African continent because of its wealth of experience that spans over three decades, proximity to concessioned blocks for oil and gas exploration, strategic location to serve as a regional hub and its highly trained and skilled workforce.
He said Onne is the only port in the country capable of providing series of oil and gas logistics service all at one place. He listed the services to include clearing and forwarding, drilling support, support vessels and working boats, tubular stocking and machine shop, pipe coating, cement and drilling fluids services, wellhead and subsea equipment, environmental services, dry dock/ship builders, machinery and catering services, among others.
According to him, INTELS implements the most reputable international standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ABS Quality, which are unmatched in the maritime and oil and gas industries.
Mr. Onyebueke also told the visiting lawmakers that INTELS Nigeria Limited is fully committed to maximizing the use of Nigerian human resources, materials, equipment and services in its operations without compromising the company’s values, quality, health, safety and environmental standards.
He said INTELS has continued to enhance the participation of Nigerian businesses and local contractors in its operations in compliance with the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.
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