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ARCO Marine and Oilfield Services Limited, a subsidiary of Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company Plc, has commenced delivery of four fast passenger boats to Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, under a $36 million (about N5.4 billion) logistic scheme to boost operational activities of the oil company.

At the commissioning of two of the boats-Arco FCB1 and Arco FCB2, at Total’s Onne Port facility in Rivers State, at the weekend, stakeholders in the Nigerian oil and gas industry admonished that the local content Act has begun to yield the desired results.

The Managing Director of Arco Marine, Yomi Jemibewon, described the supply of the boats ordered from his company by Total as a milestone in the life of his company and a glaring example of what indigenous companies could do in the industry if given a chance.

He pointed out that each of the two boats delivered cost about $3.5 million, adding that they were built in Australia.

He noted that the third one, which is coming in May 2012, is double the size of the available ones with about 70 passengers worth $6 million while the fourth is expected in March 2013 valued at about $4 million.

The managing director also disclosed that other funds were meant for logistics and maintenance of the facilities.

According to him, “in 2008, Arco Marine successfully won the bid to this contract although we faced significant challenges along the way; however, by working very closely with Total and all parties involved on this project, most of these challenges have now been overcome.

“The boats are high speed personnel carriers to be operated 100 per cent by Nigerians as they have been designed and built to offer safe and secure coupling to Total’s offshore platform installations, high speed and safe manoeuvrability between offshore platforms and the utmost in passenger safety and comfort during transfer and transit,” he said.

The Executive General Manager, General Services of Total Exploration and Producing Nigerian Limited, Peter Igbinovia said that Total was proud to be associated with Arco Marine on the project, which he said was under the auspices of Total/NNPC Joint Venture.

Igbinovia said that his company had found that promoting local content in the oil and gas industry was not just a moral obligation but indeed good business.

He said further that adherence to the contract terms would earn Arco Marine good reputation in the industry, adding that he had no doubt that the company would render a good account of itself.

According to him, “The collaboration between Total and Arco Marine on this project is a signal that the Nigerian local content policy has come to stay,” he said.

Managing Director of Arco Group, Alfred Okoigun observed that the occasion at Onne was to send the right signals to the players in the industry that an indigenous company like Arco Marine could team up with yet another oil major, Total Exploration and Producing Company in the crucial area of marine services in the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta.

Okoigun expressed his appreciation to the Nigerian government for taking the issue of local content seriously and to NNPC and Total Joint Venture for providing an opportunity to Arco Marine to prove the point that local content was not only desirable but could indeed raise the profile of indigenous participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

	Total, Arco buoy oil logistics under N5.4bn scheme .
	Culled from: Guardian Newspaper
	03/19/2012
	ARCO Marine and Oilfield Services Limited, a subsidiary of Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company Plc, has commenced delivery of four fast passenger boats to Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, under a $36 million (about N5.4 billion) logistic scheme to boost operational activities of the oil company. At the commissioning of two of the boats-Arco FCB1 and Arco FCB2, at Total’s Onne Port facility in Rivers State, at the weekend, stakeholders in the Nigerian oil and gas industry admonished that the local content Act has begun to yield the desired results. The Managing Director of Arco Marine, Yomi Jemibewon, described the supply of the boats ordered from his company by Total as a milestone in the life of his company and a glaring example of what indigenous companies could do in the industry if given a chance. He pointed out that each of the two boats delivered cost about $3.5 million, adding that they were built in Australia. He noted that the third one, which is coming in May 2012, is double the size of the available ones with about 70 passengers worth $6 million while the fourth is expected in March 2013 valued at about $4 million. The managing director also disclosed that other funds were meant for logistics and maintenance of the facilities. According to him, “in 2008, Arco Marine successfully won the bid to this contract although we faced significant challenges along the way; however, by working very closely with Total and all parties involved on this project, most of these challenges have now been overcome. “The boats are high speed personnel carriers to be operated 100 per cent by Nigerians as they have been designed and built to offer safe and secure coupling to Total’s offshore platform installations, high speed and safe manoeuvrability between offshore platforms and the utmost in passenger safety and comfort during transfer and transit,” he said. The Executive General Manager, General Services of Total Exploration and Producing Nigerian Limited, Peter Igbinovia said that Total was proud to be associated with Arco Marine on the project, which he said was under the auspices of Total/NNPC Joint Venture. Igbinovia said that his company had found that promoting local content in the oil and gas industry was not just a moral obligation but indeed good business. He said further that adherence to the contract terms would earn Arco Marine good reputation in the industry, adding that he had no doubt that the company would render a good account of itself. According to him, “The collaboration between Total and Arco Marine on this project is a signal that the Nigerian local content policy has come to stay,” he said. Managing Director of Arco Group, Alfred Okoigun observed that the occasion at Onne was to send the right signals to the players in the industry that an indigenous company like Arco Marine could team up with yet another oil major, Total Exploration and Producing Company in the crucial area of marine services in the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta. Okoigun expressed his appreciation to the Nigerian government for taking the issue of local content seriously and to NNPC and Total Joint Venture for providing an opportunity to Arco Marine to prove the point that local content was not only desirable but could indeed raise the profile of indigenous participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.