Forum urges NLNG not to change contractors for T7 project

The $12 billion Train 7 (T7) project got a boost as the Bonny Entrepreneurs and contractors Forum has assured the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and the federal government that Bonny is ready for the project.

The Forum Chairman, Idawarifagha Benstowe, who spoke to newsmen after the forum’s inaugural meeting said: “We are hopeful that the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the NLNG Train 7 project would be signed before the end of the third quarter (Q3) of this year, as all stakeholders are very committed to see to the addition of the seventh train to boost the gas revenue of the country.”

In a statement signed by all indigenous entrepreneurs and contractors, they demanded that B7 JV Consortium led by the KBR group should be given the right of first refusal for the construction of the LNG T7 project.

“The B7 JV consortium, having constructed the six trains effortlessly in line with global practice, with little or no loss time injury, safety of the environment should be awarded the T7 project by Nigeria LNG.

According to them, B7 JV Consortium has the expertise which has been demonstrated six times in all of NLNG’s trains, hence their appeal to still considered as plans for T7 are underway.

Benstowe, also added that the forum is a pool of indigenous entrepreneurs and contractors from Bonny Kingdom; the host community of NLNG, hence the acceptability by the community, “Bonny is ready for Train 7, our people have gained experience in virtually all aspects of the construction of LNG trains, having worked in six of such trains.”

“The manpower, contractors, vendors, skilled and unskilled labour are all on ground in the community, waiting to render services such as in -country fabrication of: Pressure vessels, pipe spools, Gratings, manhole covers, flare stack, communications mast, and fencing among others,” he added.

It would be recalled that in July 2018, the NLNG signed the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the T7 project, in line with its goal of increasing LNG production from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) to 30 MTPA, but however failed with its shareholders to take a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the $12 billion expansion project scheduled for December, last year without giving a new date within which the signing would be actualised.