First Marine Engineering provides embarkation bases, sets pace in Nigeria’s logistics

First Marine Engineering and Services Nigeria Ltd (FMES), a Nigerian indigenous oil company has said it is expanding its business scope ahead of contemporaries in the sector.
An indigenous company that employs the best available technologies for its offshore operations, and abides by international standards and best practice, FMES has combined extensive local knowledge with selective foreign technical client’s partnerships to create unique competencies that few of its competitors, whether local or foreign, can match.
Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in Houston, Texas, its Business Development Manager, Adebowale Olawale Okoro said the company is trying to establish a model to distinguish itself in the mainstream of the oil and gas business in Nigeria.
He said, “We’ve been in logistics for quite some time but at a certain time we decided to expand our horizon. We realized there was a gap within the Niger Delta particularly when companies need a stopover before going offshore.
“So we looked at that area identified the gap and acquired two bases purely for logistics purposes. One is the Ogu village base in Yenogoa, Bayelsa state.
“The second base is located just along the PPMC road, Efurrun in Epan, Warri of Delta state. Both bases have jetties and a wide land mass area.
“Our plan is for international oil companies (IOCs) who have operating acreages within those areas to come and make use of those bases as their embarkation point for their workers and to fuel, refill, stock and drill pipes.
“So, basically that’s what we are looking at, and it’s the next step forward within our logistics business which we have come to OTC to present to our clients,” he said.
According to him, the model is ahead of other companies operation in the country.
“We are trying to build a model which will set us ahead of all the other local companies within the country. Practically, the services which we render at this present point in time are drilling, support services, dredging, engineering procurement and construction (EPC), marine services and then logistics.
“With regards to the bases, we have acquired them with a view to having the IOCs make use of them. So, practically I would say we do not have any foreign partnership currently running with regards to that. We have the capacity for it and it’s pure local content.