GE Oil and Gas Commences Fabrication of Subsea Wellheads in Nigeria

After nearly 4 years of planning, and over $4.5 million investment in facilities, recruitment and training, GE has announced that it now has the capability to fabricate subsea wellheads in Nigeria for its Oil and Gas customers. The announcement was made in Lagos by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of GE Oil and Gas, Uzo Nwagwu.  

This is a major milestone for GE Oil & Gas in efforts to substantially increase the local capabilities of its operations in Nigeria through ambitious technology programs and human capacity development. With this achievement, GE’s customers operating in Nigeria no longer need to import these fabricated wellheads, thereby reducing costs and improving delivery time.

The developments at GE’s Onne facility in River State align with the Nigerian Federal Government’s local content law and desire for increased manufacturing capacity, skill acquisition and technology transfer. However, for GE, this milestone represents a lot more than complying with the laws on local content.

“GE Oil & Gas have a vision to ‘Fuel the Future’ by delivering cost-effective customer solutions on-time wherever they are needed across the globe,” explained Uzo Nwagwu. “By investing now in the development of our people and facilities we are able to localize subsea wellhead assembly and partner with local suppliers to create a sustainable business for Nigeria.” Nwagwu referred to the establishment of the Subsea wellhead fabrication capabilities in Onne as “a true win-win proposition for the indigenous industry and the Nigerian Content agenda.”
 
The Onne facility in River State has been operating since 2002. This purpose-built facility is the first and only quayside facility of its calibre in Nigeria and employees over 200 people. It has an exceptional safety record, and is a cornerstone in GE's commitment to the country's Oil & Gas industry. With continually expanding capabilities, the site provides complete assembly, testing and life cycle service for subsea tree systems, subsea control modules, specialty connectors and pipe. It also includes a dedicated on-site training center and offers broad business development opportunities for local suppliers.