The MD Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria Limited and Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu has announced that an aviation partnership deal, targeting 75 percent Nigerian Content in support of the recent Nigerian Content Act of 2010, has been signed between Caverton Helicopters and Shell Nigeria.
The Nigerian Content Act was created to ensure the development and contribution of local capacity in the oil and gas industry of the world’s 6th oil producer. To achieve this, a policy of knowledge impartation from foreign expatriates to local professionals would be strongly maintained and the facilitation of the participation of the local players would be increased.
Sunmonu, who disclosed the partnership at a recent Shell Nigeria Aviation Strategic Business Performance Review (BPR) in Lagos, said since the signing of the partnership Shell has saved about $20 million in operational cost while its partner’s staff strength skyrocketed from 120 to over 500, with a correlating increase in efficient operations.
According to a BusinessDay report, the MD of SPDC said: “So, this partnership, for me, is a great initiative in the sense that it is like helping a small company to grow. This partnership is not about Caverton making short term money. It is about Shell helping Caverton to grow a business and to build a business. That, to me is very significant. They had grown from staff strength of 120 to over 500 since they started to work with Shell. They had increased their fleet size from two machines to about eight machines.”
Sunmonu also revealed that the partnership has contributed to the nomination of its partner, Caverton Helicopters as a service centre for AugustoWestland.
Corroborating Sunmonu’s statement, the Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Mr Sola Falola said the partnership was about developing local content and aviation capacity. He highlighted the pertinence of local content partnerships, stating that such initiative would enhance the ability of Nigerian oil and gas companies to meet global standards and compete in the international market.
Caverton Helicopters is a leading indigenous provider of aviation logistics services for the oil and gas industry. The company has a 35 percent expatriate staff and 65 percent Nigerian staff. Within the next couple of years, it plans to increase its local workforce to 75 percent.
