NCDMB Lauds Oil Firm, Brentex, on $50m Steel Pipe Facility, Assures of Industry Patronage

Peter Uzoho The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has lauded Brentex Petroleum Services Limited on the significant progress recorded on its Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne Port, Rivers State. The agency described the facility as a landmark industrial project and a major demonstration of Nigeria’s growing status as a leading hub for oil and gas logistics, engineering, and manufacturing services. The Brentex Facility is a $50 million investment being developed to provide integrated steel pipe induction bending, heat treatment, testing, and coating services for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The project, which has attracted over $26 million in investments to date, is expected to become Africa’s first fully integrated 2-inch to 48-inch steel pipe induction bending and coating plant upon completion. Speaking during a tour of the facility at Onne Port, recently, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, congratulated Brentex Petroleum Services Limited on the project and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to working with industry stakeholders to deepen in-country capacity, promote industrialisation, and expand the scope of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry. A statement signed by NCDMB’s General Manager, Corporate Communication, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, quoted Ogbe as praising Brentex Petroleum Services Limited for its bold investment, resilience, and commitment to developing indigenous capacity. Represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (MED), NCDMB, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, the agency’s boss noted that the emergence of the Brentex Steel Pipe Induction Bending and Coating Facility represents “a direct and tangible response to the quest for in-country capacity in specialised pipeline engineering services,” He added that the project would advance “our collective goal of retaining value, creating jobs, and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading energy services hub in Africa.” The NCDMB boss urged the management of Brentex to sustain the momentum on the project and maintain the highest standards of quality, safety, and operational excellence, noting that the facility has the potential to become a flagship Nigerian Content asset and a reference point for specialised pipeline engineering services across Africa. In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of Brentex Petroleum Services Limited, Mr. Chidi Nzerem acknowledged the Board’s support and partnership over the past 10 years, noting that the sustained interventions had been instrumental to the facility’s progress, adding that it was conceived to advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010. Nzerem expressed high hopes that the Board’s support would be sustained, hinting that the facility is scheduled to become fully operational in the last quarter of 2027. Responding to an inquiry by the General Manager, Downstream, Project Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Ms. Tassalla Tersurgh, on the facility’s contribution to human capital development, Nzerem disclosed that the facility is expected to engage about 200 engineers and other technical personnel, creating employment, technical training, skills transfer and capacity-building opportunities, with the long-term goal of the facility being 100 per cent handled and operated by trained Nigerians. Speaking on the strategic importance of the facility, the Project Manager at Brentex, Patrick Anaje, stated that the facility, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to transform pipeline engineering services by providing the country’s first fully integrated in-country solution for steel pipe induction bending and coating. He disclosed that Brentex is currently engaged in the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline project, where the company’s new capabilities would be of immense value.