Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has support a proposed Regional Action Plan aimed at improving the safety of helicopter services across Africa.
The plan was the key outcome of a workshop held in Lagos earlier in the week by the Aviation Subcommittee of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), in partnership with London-based safety group, HeliOffshore.
According to a statement, the two-day Offshore Helicopter Industry Safety Workshop with the theme “Developing a Regional Action Plan,” followed on from a similar session last year which SNEPCo sponsored.
It also provided administrative and logistical support for this year’s conference which was sponsored by ExxonMobil. SNEPCo which pioneered Nigeria’s deepwater production at Bonga in 2005, relies on helicopter shuttles for operations and supports the workshop as part of its contributions towards safe services in Nigeria.
General Manager Contracting and Supply Chain, Charles Oranyeli, delivered the address at the opening session on behalf of the Managing Director SNEPCo, Ronald Adams.
He said: “By developing a regional action plan, we can move beyond dialogue to alignment, ensuring that the safety leadership, industry standards, and collaborative approaches championed last year are embedded in a common roadmap for collective improvement. The most effective solutions will come not from isolated efforts, but from partnership, standardization, and coordinated action across the region.”
Over 80 representatives from oil and gas companies, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), helicopter operators and original equipment manufacturers attended the event, the statement quoted.
Besides, participants suggested action items for the proposed Regional Action Plan including Search and Rescue (SAR) initiatives, implementation of IOGP Report 690 standards and establishment of formal industry leadership forums.
