Foremost
downstream oil company, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, saturday commissioned a berthing
terminal – Dantata Jetty, which has a capacity to berth vessels of
80,000–120,000 metric tonnes capacity at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The
record-breaking facility, which is reputed in the downstream sector of
Nigeria’s oil and gas industry as the first of its kind in any port in Africa,
will save Nigeria millions of dollars spent annually by marketers of petroleum
products to hire daughter vessels to lift products from the mother vessels on
the high seas to the depots, as the mother vessels can now berth directly at
the new Jetty.
Speaking
yesterday during the commissioning ceremony in Lagos, the Minister of State for
Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said that though the jetty was the largest in
Africa, what he enjoyed most iwas the Information Technology (IT) deployed in
the facility to monitor on computers, the loadings of every drop of petroleum
product.
He said with
the computerisation scheme in the facility, the Chairman of the company could
monitor the loadings from anywhere in the world.
Kachikwu said
he had a similar vision for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
stressing that as the leader in the downstream sector, the NNPC Downstream
should adopt similar computerisation scheme to reduce losses in its operations.
“That is
fantastic; it is important that we get the NNPC to align with this strategy to
reduce losses,” Kachikwu added.
The oil
minister further recalled that a year ago, he took a decision that the
lightering expenses incurred by the NNPC in transferring products from the
mother vessels to the daughter vessels was becoming unsustainable.
“Sayyu
(chairman of MRS Oil) heard this and took the decision on this facility,” he
said.
Kachikwu
commended MRS, stressing that the acquisition of Chevron Oil has transformed
the firm to a big global company.
He said that
the federal government had the responsibility to improve the ease of doing
business to ensure the success of businesses like MRS Oil.
Also speaking
at the event, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola,
said MRS Oil deserved commendation “not only for the size, the capacity – the
audacity of what MRS has done but also because it was done by a Nigerian
company.”
According to
him, the most important investor in any economy are the local investors because
“they will not run away, no matter how tough it is.”
Fashola said
the present administration realised this and had remained committed to
supporting local investors such as MRS and others.
“Congratulations
also that this investment has come to maturity at a most auspicious time –
barely a week after Mr. President launched the economic recovery programme and
one of the priority actions in that programme out of the 60 interventions is
strengthening our capacity towards self-sufficiency in energy supply,” Fashola
explained.
Fashola
pledged to electrify the corridor and build transmission lines because the area
is an important investment corridor and behind it is tourism.
In his
speech, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah,
said the federal government was committed to improving the country’s global
ranking in the ease of doing business to attract investors.
According to
him, Nigeria should not think that her environment is unique in terms of doing
business because investors, including local ones have other choices.
“We live in a
world where we are part of the global community. Nigerians should not think
that their environment is unique in attracting business because investors have
other destinations. So, we must improve our global ranking,” Enelamah said.
Speaking for
the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who was also present at the
event, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, described the jetty as a great feat in
maritime acquisition in Nigeria.
“We are here
today to celebrate a great feat in maritime acquisition. I have been challenged
that the Cabotage Act is not working but this jetty has proved that it is
working. I want to take advantage of this opportunity to encourage other
investors to invest in the maritime sector because the current government is
working on the ease of doing business,” Peterside explained.
In her
remarks, the company’s Group Executive Director in charge of Trading and
Supply, Amina Maina, traced the history of MRS from its inception in 1995 and
to where it is today. Maina praised the workforce for its dedication and
sacrifices to get the company to its present state saying the dream would not
have been realised without their loyalty and contributions.
Also in his
welcome address, the Chairman of the company, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, noted that
the jetty would save the country the expenses incurred in Ship-to-Ship (STS)
transfer, as well as demurrage, which he estimated at over $200 million yearly.
According to
him, before the construction of the jetty, the company could only bring small
vessels of 10,000 – 30,000 metric tonnes capacity to berth and discharge
products at the depot.
Sayyu said
with the completion of the jetty, a vessel of 60,000MT capacity is already at
the facility, adding that the capacity is equivalent to six vessels of 10,000MT
tones each.
“We have gone
out to the sea 34 metres. We save costs for the country in terms of STS
(ship-to-ship) transfer. This vessel is equivalent to six vessels of 10,000MT
each and it shows that Nigerians can do great things. For the first time in
Africa, 60,000MT vessel berth today and it has never happened anywhere in
Africa. What we normally use to do operations is between 10,000MT and
30,000MT,” Dantata explained.
The Speaker
of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, was represented by Hon. Victor
Nwokolo, Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), while
Senator Abdullai Yahaya represented, Chairman Senate Committee on Downstream,
Senator Kabiru Marafa, at the well attended ceremony to officially commission the
massive jetty.
Source: ThisDay
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