TRICONTINENTAL DEVELOPS NEW OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY
By Jim Rex Lawson Moses
As part of contributions to the ongoing efforts to create an enduring environment for the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas sector, Tricontinental Technologies Limited, a division of the Tricontinental Group has recorded a giant stride through its technological initiatives to eliminate downtime in the industry.
The company has developed a new technology known as the DALIC Selective Process which enables services in maintenance, repairs and restoration, corrosion control, plant integrity enhancement, plant construction, plant and facility inspection, subsea engineering, pipeline technology, project and quality management amongst others, to respond to major problems in the offshore drilling business.
The managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Prof. Toyin Ashiru, who stated this in an exclusive chat, said that the potentials in the Nigerian oil and gas industry were yet to be tapped. He revealed that the Company was positioned to diversify into different areas of the nation's oil and gas industry so as to create employment opportunities for many Nigerians through its technological initiatives.
'We help to extend the lifespan of equipments, pipelines and facilities used in the oil and gas industry by providing proper maintenance services including design, building, inspection, and project quality management for the oil and gas industry.
We also ensure that contractors provide the best possible services that would extend the lifeline of equipment and facilities in this industry for years to avoid plant shut-down because in the oil and gas industry, invested capital declines in value unless the machinery is properly maintained.
And maintenance ensures efficient and effective utilization of installed machinery and production facilities. Since lack of modern maintenance equipment, often leads to machinery breakdown and loss of production time.
Industries should therefore find valuable time and capital to develop competence and know-how for repairing equipment on site, while saving foreign exchange and improving production figures. Techniques are available for rebuilding worn components and for filling in damage such as corrosion or erosion of expensive or badly needed parts'' he added.
Industrial components
He disclosed that the group has about four technologies for repairing industrial components in the oil and gas industry. Among them is the DALIC selective process, which he said, is a form of electroplating that repairs damaged components in a plant.
DALIC selective electroplating he further explained has useful applications in the oil and gas exploration and production operations. According to him, offshore oil and gas platforms are subjected to hostile corrosive marine environments, which he said require continuous preventive and corrective maintenance to ensure prolonged and safe operations - a situation he maintained is viewed by industry experts as the major problems in the offshore drilling business.
The managing Director said that ball valves with corrosion damages on the sealing surfaces of the housing units can be repaired by the DALIC process on site, on gas platforms so that you don't have to take it abroad for repair which according to him was a lot of savings.
Prof. Ashiru commended the vision of the chairman and founder of the group Chief Olabintan Famutimi. He acknowledged the tremendous support he still gives which has enabled the group to record giant strides in the industry.
Tricontinental Group which began operations in 1997 as Tricontinental Oil Services Limited in Nigeria, according to the Managing Director, has expanded into multiple business units such as engineering, construction, development options internationally to the industries providing products and services to oil and gas, marine and power generation.
He said that the Group is made up of Tricontinental Oil Services Limited, Tricontinental Trinidad Limited, Tricontinental Technologies Limited, Tricontinental Academy, Tricontinental Energy System, Tricontinental Eagle and Tricontinental Ghana Limited.
Tricontinental Group, Toyin concluded, is a partner to Eagle Solutions Providers with headquarters in Atlanta Georgia, USA, and provides international services including design, building management services to the energy sector, transportation networks, as well as improving and maintenance facilities and equipment for industries.