Shell Awards Marine Services Contracts To Two Nigerian Firms

IBADAN, Nigeria (Dow Jones)-Shell Petroleum Development Company-operated Joint Venture has awarded marine contracts to two Nigerian firms, a company spokesman said Monday.

Tony Okonedo, SPDC's corporate relations manager said in a statement that C&I Leasing PLC (CILEASING.LA) and Maiden Systems Ltd., will provide marine tanker handling and pilotage services to crude export vessels at Bonny and Forcados terminals in the Niger Delta.

He didn't give the cost of the contracts but said a key aspect of them was the building of 11 marine tug boats which will secure tankers as they load crude oil at the two terminals.

Okonedo added that both companies will also maintain associated crude loading facilities and undertake offshore terminal emergency response and surveillance.

SPDC is a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC.

Okonedo said Shell-run companies in Nigeria, last year awarded contracts worth nearly $892 million to Nigerian firms, representing 85% of the total amount spent on contracts within the period.

He said the contracts were awarded recently in Port Harcourt, capital of southeast Rivers state, and added that they were part of Shell's efforts to encourage the participation of indigenous firms in the country's oil and gas industry.

"The focus of Shell companies is on supporting Nigerians and Nigerian firms to improve their capacity in a range of oil and gas industry activities including, design, engineering, exploration and drilling," Okonedo said.

Nigeria recently announced its Local Content Act, which gives first consideration to Nigerian indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector, creating training and employment opportunities for Nigerians and ensuring that most of the spending in the industry is kept in the country.

-By Obafemi Oredein, contributing to Dow Jones Neeswires; 234 2 7510489