We are already looking at expending by building a new logistics base in Warri.
– Chief Penawou

First Marine and Engineering Services Limited (FMES) is a wholly Nigerian company that is into engineering, procurement and construction, as well as drilling, dredging and logistics services Barely one year after FMES launched its logistics base, strategically positioned along the Oxbow River for onshore &offshore services in Yenagoa Bayelsa State, it has realized the urgent need for expansion in order to accommodate the growing demand by the international oil companies and service companies alike. The FMES base is a one-stop-shop which provides all logistical services, including warehousing, material handling equipment, fabrication, assembly yard, crew change management, catering, open and closed storage facilities that can support Oil Exploration companies with acreages around the Bayelsa axis, to be more efficient due to proximity. The proximity has the potentials to reduce swamp and offshore operations cost by 40% and long transit time from Port Harcourt to a mere 8hours from the usual 4/5 days from other locations. In addition, FMES is currently looking at expanding the current base to a second phase which will include a helipad within the facility. Chief Joseph Penawou, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer speak on this in an interview with our editorial team. Excerpts:

Could you tell me what mileage you have attained as an indigenous company?

Presently, we want to change the narrative in Bayelsa. We have a facility in Yenagoa, Bayelsa. That’s our new fabrication and logistic base. It is called FMES Logistic Base. This is about a four hundred thousand square meter facility. It consists of 5,000sqmaccommodation area, 8,100sqmfabricationarea, 800sqm overall office area, 600m long Quay Side of, 12m draft, a 3,000sqm jetty of 2,000 tons ramp, 83,000sqm Lay down area. The facility is strategically positioned for oil and gas companies that have acreages around the Bayelsa axis part of Nigeria, to actually use the base as a platform to launch operations into their swamp and offshore services around the area.

What is unique about this? I believe there are other companies that are offering the same services. Why are you different?

The FMES base is unique in its setup; it is the only logistics facility in Bayelsa for oil and gas operators that have acreages around Bayelsa. It has the potential to reduce their operating cost by 40%as most of these operators mobilize their resources from Port Harcourt, Warri and Lagos. What this means for IOCs and indigenous oil servicing companies is the fact that we offer reduced transit time for logistics, which in return maximizes their operational efficiency with a dependable logistics supports.

What’s the next big thing we should be expecting from FMES?

The next big thing for FMES is that we are setting up this same logistics base in Warri with the capacity to service the oil and gas service companies and operator in that corridor.

Lastly, the local content policy and how it has fared in this past couple of years, what’s your take?

This is the most important thing that has happened to Nigerian oil and gas industry because it has enhanced the ability of local or indigenous companies to explore local opportunities while staying competitive globally. It has reduced the need for expatriates on a lot of operations. We now have the capable hands and capacities to carry out all these functions in the oil and gas industry; and it saves the Nigerian economy a whole lot of foreign exchange.