Kaztec to establish pipeline manufacturing plant, others in N/Delta

A WHOLLY indigenous oil and gas service company, Kaztec Engineering Limited, a member of the Chrome Group, said in Houston at the weekend that it was is in the process of establishing a base in the Niger Delta for pipeline manufacturing, coating and fabrication as well as all utility systems for both its onshore and offshore projects.Speaking with journalists at the company's stand in the Reliant Park, venue of the just-concluded Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in Houston Texas, the company's Commercial Manager, Charles Gallagher, noted that the company intended to reinforce capacity to ensure that projects are delivered according to world-class standards.He listed some of the projects being executed by the company to include the 106 kilometer Adangba/Calabar gas pipeline project, which will transport gas to some independent power plants in the Niger Delta, offshore platform installation for Addax Petroleum Development Corporation as well as some offshore pipeline installations for which it has acquired a fleet of vessels, including pipe laying vessels, tug vessels and utility vessels that will fast-track the delivery of projects.He said that the company took its new technology, Semi Automatic Welding System, the first of its kind by a Nigerian company to the conference, which was a big boost for the company's pipeline projects, through which it has been able to install hundreds of kilometers of pipelines in Calabar, Cross River State.He added that developing the new technology was part of Kaztec's effort to support Federal Government's Nigerian content development programme aimed at empowering more indigenous companies to come into the sector.According to Gallagher, 'we are here in the market place to showcase our capability and capacity and we are ready to compete not only locally, but also internationally. So, we are moving into higher quality welding, which is semi-automatic welding, the first to be done by any local company and we are very proud of it.'He noted that some companies had to abandon some of the engineering, procurement, installation and construction (EPIC) projects due to lack of capacity, while Kaztec is breaking new grounds.As a result, he pointed out that the OTC offered the company an opportunity to showcase itself to the world, and demonstrate its ability to deliver quality services in line with global best practices.He noted that one of the major challenges faced by indigenous operators is dearth of technical capacity, which is why his company is boosting both technical and utility competences.
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