‘Downstream sector poses major challenge in oil, gas industry’

The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mordecai Ladan, has said that the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry was facing major challenges in process safety, stating that there was need for discussions and improvement.

Ladan noted this during a Process Safety Seminar 2017, organised by the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE) in collaboration with DPR, which took place in Lagos.

Ladan, represented by the Head, Safety and Environment, DPR, Sibedu Onyebuchi, noted that process safety is an integral part of operations in any facility especially in the oil and gas industry where process safety was the live wire of operations.

He maintained that there was an increasing trend in the establishment of new facilities in topstream sector of the industry while its downstream sector posed major challenges in process safety and has shown the need for discussions and improvement on the subject matter.

“The Nigerian oil and gas industry as major focus on policy trust is to ensure optimal production and distribution of good oil and petroleum products and to secure safe and environmental friendly manner by a healthy work force,” Makanjuola said.

He reiterated that by pursuing this policy, the industry is better positioned to generate the much, needed in the industry.Chairman, Vita Foam, Bamidele Makanjuola, addressing the attendees, stated that process safety is a very important matter but is ignored mostly by industries, reiterating that only the operators in the oil and gas industry takes it as a serious matter.

In Makanjuola’s words: “You hardly find safety gadgets with the independent marketers and it doesn’t show the level of commitment we have as people committed to the safety market. No matter how you see it, safety is still to be a serious subject matter to Nigerians.”

He challenged those in the oil and gas industry on their commitment to safety and urged them to acquire and install more safety gadgets and equipment in their stations. He maintained that being in the industry doesn’t eternalized process safety as industrial processes are becoming more complex.

“Investing in safety systems is never a waste of money because it can prevent accidents that could cost you your company,” he added.
Makanjuola advised the organizers to go beyond the oil and gas industry to sell the programme the manufacturers and their employees in Nigeria as the programme tries to marry academic theories with practical experiences.