₦airaland Forum

Peeps,

Rather than dispute and argue amongst ourselves, we might fall the risk of being deemed to be proud and cocky. Our humble opinions on here could give a different impression to some parties equally on here instead let's share meaningful ideas and thoughts on this projects.

I believe we should try and keep this post alive by giving info that outsiders i.e aspiring would be EGINA workforce will benefit from. If we decide to throw all our weight on the bureaucracy on the mad politics behind our so called Local content, we will derail this topic. Opportunities or adverts will be announced in future regardless whether it's technical or non-technical and some peeps will be desperate for such info so let's concentrate on aiding such people in such circumstances in any little way we can.

The brief " mouth off " that has transpired between some members on this post also buttress the reasons why these operators rely on getting these expats to deliver such project when we Nigerians struggle to have a constructive debate which doesn't sprawl or lead to bad biting amongst us.. not saying you don't have such politics within the so called expats camp too but they have a better way of managing it..

Info is key so if you are directly working on the project or know a bit more than others about it, kindly share ! It will defo help one person out there.

For me anyways, I know EGINA needs Staffs badly.. I repeat again that we don't have all the expertise required to deliver this type of deep-water project solely by ourselves so there is a need to get more expats on board. I have been offered two roles to choose from as LEAD Engineer to look after two different work packages within the UFR division. I had interviews with French specialists within the TOTAL technology division in Paris and outcome were successful otherwise they would not have offered me anything. Plus have work mates or peers who are currently being courted for different positions too. Whether they and I will accept these proposed roles is a different ball game but it's not all doom and gloom as it is been painted for Nigerians craving for a chance to work on the EGINA project!

The logic is if you are competent for the highly skilled role, it's likely you will be offered the job by merit provided there are no other sentiments in an ideal world. However, this type of field development should create room for non skilled to gain the skills and graduates or trainees to acquire some vital experience again in an ideal world.

Someone mentioned local companies such as Crestec, Dover, Oceon doing the design bit of the work but they are only doing a mock-up or follow-up on what has been setup by their foreign partners etc..Now that is a societal and governmental problem here peeps !

A place where company unions that are supposed to represent their staffs don't fight their cause and allow them to do such highly skilled work ( even if it's a carbon copy ) for a mere salary clearly means there is something wrong. Subsea engineering expertise is no child's play whether you have been asked to do a replica it will still require your know-how about software and the engineering behind it to even make a just attempt.. so we shoot ourselves in the foot by creating that image of belittling the little amount of Subsea engineering we do back in Nigeria. Rather we should be proud about it and the sharp ones amongst us pick out what has been done previously by the so called expats anyways afterwards so
it does help one way or other. I sincerely pray things will change in future and my fellow brothers and sisters churning out mad man-hrs doing these design work locally get what they deserve as remuneration for their gallant efforts ! one day !

Gradually, as previously mentioned, the need for these foreign expertise will diminish but presently we NEED them for this type of work from conceptual to FEED to Detailed design to Construction to Installation to Execution mainly because we not quite there yet.

But what baffles the heck out of me is that, the vast amount of Nigerians in diaspora who work for these foreign firms is CRAY ! Our fellow Nigerian peeps do work for these foreign companies and actually do perform all these detailed design work on day to day basis for them. It begs the question why aren't they coming back to take these expats roles?? Because it's the same Nigerians who will fight nail and tooth to stop his or her brethren from getting such package in the name of " local content ".

They will gladly remind you of your surname and insist that no expat package will be ideal for you because you are Nigerian by birth regardless of whether you are dual or not.. No one disputes not being Nigerian but not considering what their present living circumstances are surely won't help you win the person over? Surely, common sense will warrant that you sell the incentives to the person that you are telling to leave their family/present jobs/ behind just to come and work for you?

So as I mentioned in my previous post that nothing stops anyone in this situation from negotiating what suits you and making sure they meet your terms as a minimum ! Why pack your bags for something less beneficial than what you are currently on> Reason why many stay back and do all the behind the scene work that don't get mentioned or seen by some of us who are equally doing a great job locally !! And trust me EGINA HR listens !!!

There are Nigerians working for Saipem/Subsea7/Technip/FMC/Woodgroup/HMC/Total/Shell in Paris/Italy/London/Holland etc and they have attained positions within the firm where their skills are greatly required of but will fancy keep making their cash over there rather than face the mad politics working back home brings ! Yes mad politics ! such as where we feel those who have worked on a TOTAL project namely USAN will be readily deployed into the EGINA fold and as such there wont be room for any intakes or less room I must say? Are you saying that the USAN guys will adequately fill roles such as project engineers covering the design of the manifolds,Subsea control system, Riser systems , moorings, suction piles etc from a TOTAL/Client point of view during this detailed stage? Surely the bulk of these guys are field operators and Total will defo have plenty for them to do offshore wise on EGINA? So what about the enormous design, operations, planning, HSE planned work required for over 5years?

Someone also mentioned that the same set of sub-contractors/third party vendors or suppliers will end up doing these works for TOTAL on the EGINA project as seen in past projects for them.. Absolutely fine because no one will want to bear any risk or delay incurred due to trying new contractors or sub-suppliers etc so operators most times will stick with parties they have used in the past as long as they have performed well or delivered their assigned task to their satisfaction. But surely their workforce is under the National content jurisdiction and they must mirror the local content targets too. Saying that regardless of whether they have a team on ground already, any planner or manager knows that in order to deliver on time you need a good work resource to keep the energy going for five years so there will be room to employ a few hands but question will be how much of it goes to the local pool of graduates and personnel for them to choose from?

Please be constructive if you disagree with the above paragraph, there is no need to argue or bicker over this. We are all learning what the systems holds for us at the end of the day.

So EGINA are and will recruit in near future whether small scale or big scale but question is passing that info across ! ..
For those in diaspora, keep a tab on NES global and Air Energi websites on EGINA adverts, they put out Job roles for this project fast. Locally? may be someone on here might want to share or I suggest visit the TOTAL career website often.. It's all about helping one another..

One might not have worked for Mr TOTAL and Mrs Saipem in Nigeria directly but the chances are that one have worked on other different TOTAL/Saipem projects for years whilst living outside the borders of Nigeria and one is accustomed with their specifications and requirements for the different work packages accordingly..

I hope NAPIMS/NCDMB etc steps up to the plate and ensure that the local workforce or Nigerians in whole gets a fairly good share of the opportunities this type of project will bring and make it fair and easy for people to apply for them. This project should add a massive value to our local expertise if the bulk of the work is done locally from a construction standpoint. The Subsea equipments and Subsea Structures are just too mega !!

Above all, let us welcome this type of development and pray that there shall be more of such in future.. It might just change the mindset of many skilled Nigerians scattered across the globe to come back home and assist the good engineering workforce we already have on ground and I believe engineering is one area we have not achieved the set targets yet. And by doing so we will gradually depend less on foreign expats as the case is today and believe in our own whether home grown or Western trained ! .

Kudos to the comments made so far, keep them coming.. there are two different sides to a coin so some people will likely see your view differently ..but let's play calm about it.

Conflict on big projects like this is inevitable.

Whenever this is more than
…one person
…one idea
…one way of doing things

There is potential for conflict.  

All,

The EGINA project is a big step supporting the claim to the emergence of deep-water operations or Subsea technology in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. This type of field development is common within offshore Angola i.e Blk 15, PSVM Blk 31, Blk 18, Proposed Blk 32-Kaombo field etc.

So we should embrace it !! It follows developments such as Shell Bonga, Total Akpo field, Chevron Agbami field and Exxon Mobil Ehra North projects... It's something that Nigerians working within the Subsea engineering circle have been clamoring for and finally happy that all politics hindering its commencement have been put aside and the bigger picture of what such project brings to the local front is exploited!!

For years now, some Nigerians all across the globe have been privileged getting vital hands-on experience on such type of deep-water field development work but for operating fields located outside Nigeria. So I do believe that many Nigerians whether local or diaspora will be eager to get a fair bit of work from the EGINA project whether Subsea controls, SURF, Processing, Flow Assurance, Intervention, HSE, planning etc..

I must say in my own opinion that not all the expertise required to deliver such project are readily available within the Nigerian camp so we must tolerate a bit assistance or input from foreign guys too ! whether French, Brits, Yankees etc who cares.. rather let's seize the opportunity to tap the skills from them as required if need be !! I do equally understand if there are few dummies coming under the tag expat !! But for now, I believe we should get the skills lacking to help us build a better case against such dummies in future..

I also know that the EGINA project recruitment team are equally trying to get as much local Nigerian workforce as they can on this project plus luring skilled Nigerian professionals in diaspora too.

Hence the reason why they are offering a special local contract for such Nigerians which is completely different from the local contract offered to Nigerians on ground. They call this " local contract for Highly skilled Nigerian professionals " !!!

This mirrors the expat package they offer to expatriates in order to compensate such person who has lived and worked abroad for years and are recruited to return back to Nigeria mainly to work on the EGINA project.

This so called " special local contract " is a bit of a gray area and not much info have been released to date detailing what its benefits includes therein. But if you happen to be in discussion with the EGINA HR team, remember nothing stop you from demanding what you feel is convenient for you and your family to pack your bags and return home to work for them!! Whether they call it local contract or not as long as they meet your terms as a minimum ! No shakings !

So let's say bye bye to the marginal shallow water developments and land rigs etc rather let us welcome Subsea trees (vertical,horizontal or stack up), Subsea wellheads, Subsea manifolds, Riser systems (SCRs, Flexibles, HRT, SHR etc), Flowlines ( Rigid, flexible, piggyback or bundled pipelines), Subsea anchors, Subsea structures (FLETS, PLEMS, UTAs, Buoyancy Tanks, Suction piles), challenging flow assurance issues , potential processing issues and many more !!!

Please do keep this discussion alive.. production starts 2017 as estimated so there will be plenty to share and talk about if you have dealings with this project. Info is key !!

Bye for now !

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Tare55: And for those who prefer a rapidshare link

http://rapidshare.com/files/3577924078/REAL%20STORY%20OF%20NIGERIA%20-%20YouTube.FLV

File size is about 620MB. I think its worth having, if only for historical reasons.

Hi can you assist with the link please. Its not working for some reasons. Many thanks.

eminemkayc:
Thanks. My brother, my area of research is practically undefined just like the Lim ((x^2 - 4)/(x-2)) as x approaches 2 .Well basically,Am deeply into advanced mathematical analysis and DEEP research, iv worked on membrane and plate theories for highly indeterminate structural elements and developed programs on my mathematical derivatives on thin plates nd shells, worked on Navier's solution to the fourth order governing equation as a solution to the true distortion of plates, now into buckling analysis of offshore submerged steel members. Workin from proofs of Euler's fundamental buckling theories of different end conditions for slender elements to the actual stress behavior of these deep water members under axial load. i hv also worked, now do work and consult on major engineering design projects for the IOCs, which involves in place, lifting, extreme condition analysis and production of 3D sacs/staad analytic models. . .  These things are quite tedious and take a chunk of my tym, but science, i tell you is interesting and has drawn me closer to my CREATOR i must admit!!

Dude,
I did a bit on thin plates and shells theories back in the days and I will be honest can't remember much about them,  However, I do more work currently on strength and stability of rigid conductor/riser analysis whether platform drilled, exploration or jackup over platform or tieback wells using the Baur and Stahl methodology which stems from the Euler buckling theories given in the AISC and all. In addition I have being working on design of fixed platform structures more recently similar analyses like what you described above i.e in-place analyses, crane operations, lifting and all for un-manned platforms.
I want to find out what was your specific research title and where did you do it? also can one do a research on these buckling theories? There are a lot of drawbacks in the theory when compared to some real life scenarios where they don't hold?
Any assist on this will do,  where about do u work now? and who do you work for?

P.S: If anybody needs a copy of any of the Eurocode norm, I can send it to them if you leave me with an email addy and the spec you need, whether EC2 or EC3 etc,