By Adewale Sanyaolu
THE implementation of the local content law in the oil and gas industry has provided the needed boost for local firms to transit from importing tools and machinery to producing them locally, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Pipeline Pigs and Accessories (PPA) Limited, Mr. Geoff Onuoha, has said.
Onuoha stated this at the commissioning of PPA factory in Owerri, Imo State recently. He explained that the domestication of pigging manufacturing in Nigeria is an affirmation of the benefits of the Nigerian Content Act, adding that bringing the pigs manufacturing know-how to Nigeria benefits the economy, industry and society in several ways.
Pipeline pigs are devices that are inserted into and travel the length of a pipeline driven by a product flow. They were originally developed to remove deposits, which could obstruct or retard flow through pipeline.
The PPA CEO maintained that every product manufactured locally helps to give direct and indirect jobs to Nigerians. According to him, the indirect jobs include support services such as security, transportation, sales, importation processing and mold manufacturing.
He disclosed that before PPA commenced, all product designs and development were done abroad, but that today, Nigerian engineers have developed the confidence to conceptualise, design and manufacture quality products. They are empowered to think up better and smarter ways of accomplishing challenging tasks and to develop machines for such tasks. And when they seek help from outside, they bring ideas to the table and no longer expect to have all the thinking done for them,” he asserted.
According to him, one of the key benefits coming with the commissioning of PPA is that pipeline infrastructure will now be better maintained as maintenance materials will be readily available unlike before when non-availability of pigging products delayed major maintenance projects.
But with the coming on board of PPA, he said Nigerian pipeline networks will last longer and serve the country better with oil and gas firms getting value for their money.
“PPA engineers have worked with some local machine designers notably, those based in Aba, Abia State, to design and produce some machines that are currently used in the factory. This is great support and major testament to the potential of made-in-Nigeria machinery for manufacturing applications.
Onuoha also said that the success of PPA will encourage people in other segments of the oil industry to start considering how to go beyond services to the manufacturing of some of the products they use in their services, adding that, these small steps would someday add up and lead to the development of a viable manufacturing industry.
PPA, a subsidiary of BG Technical Ltd (BGT) was established in 2002. By 2003, a Memorandum of Partnership was executed between BGT and Knapp Pollypigs Inc of USA for the establishment of a Joint Venture facility for local manufacturing of pigging products.