BusinessDay... the voice of business: Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone rated world’s fastest

Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone rated world’s fastest
================================================================================
Ignatius Chukwu on 08 May, 2008 02:00:00
 
Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone has been rated as the world’s fasted growing
dedicated oil and gas free zone.
The company behind this feat, the Integrated Logistics Services (Intels)
Limited, has won an award in the Nigerian Content development initiative.
According to the president of the Nigerian Institute of Local Content (NILC),
Alex Umahi, Onne is now a notable point as an oil and gas free zone, a transit
and supply base and the most functional and practical base for Nigerian content
drive.
Umahi said at the award ceremony that “the institute has taken particular
notice of the unique role Intels is playing as the major concession operator in
the development and sustenance of the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone.
“The NILC sees the great significance of Intels having successfully created
the oil service centre within its bases at Onne Warri and Calabar, with
facilities, structures and expertise to meet the demanding requirements of the
oil and gas industry. This is good for Nigerian Local Content growth, and we
commend Intels management efforts in these areas.”
He said the body was pleased with Intels community relations strategies, which
he said had created an environment “in which the host community and the
company become fundamentally interdependent, where understanding is mutual and
there is commitment to growth as well as development.”
Intels was raised up as a company with high results in Nigeria content
development policy in the oil and gas sector and was given an award by the
policy husbanding agency and the NILC.
Responding on behalf of Intels, Chuks Ihuoma said he was excited by the
recognition and an award, saying this was from the fact that the company usually
received knocks for its efforts instead of commendation.
“There are genuine stakeholders in the Nigerian state who believe in
developmental partnership and are watching studiously to nudge you in the right
direction. It is not usual that we receive acclaim for what we have done; it is
more in the opposition when you have contributed so much. To receive this award
from your Institute today gives me great joy indeed.”
In January, the company and Mobil Nigeria celebrated 1, 762, 180 man-hours of
“No Lost Time Incident (LTI)” in their collaborative operations at the oil
company’s shore base operations at the Onne Ports Complex.
Simone Volpi, the general manager, had made it clear that companies that desire
to achieve long-term successes must regard assets in health, safety and
environment as part of profit.