The Managing Director, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), Osagie Okunbor, has received an ?Award of Excellence to an Astute and Visionary Technocrat? from the newly instituted executive leadership of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

Okunbor received the award in a short ceremony in Lagos, recently, where the PETAN executive, led by its chairman, Engineer Wole Ogunsanya, said: ?The award is to acknowledge Country Chair?s leadership of Shell and the long running relationship between PETAN, PETAN member companies and Shell.?

Ogunsanya said: ?Shell has been a leader in driving the growth of local capacity participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Several of PETAN members had their first breakthroughs with Shell while even more are currently providing services to Shell Companies in Nigeria.?

?PETAN member companies pledge to consistently deliver quality products and services to Shell in particular?, he said. He also expressed appreciation for the Shell partnership with PETAN and the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the Shell-PETAN Internship program that is giving young Nigerian graduates the opportunity to have a two-year on-the-job training in their respective disciplines, to enhance their employability.

?This program has been a resounding success with several of the interns retained by the participating members?, Ogunsanya said.

Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Okunbor, thanked the PETAN delegation for the recognition. He said, ?The growth of participation of indigenous companies in the oil and gas industry is a good thing. Shell companies in Nigeria retain the commitment to continue to create opportunities for Nigerian companies to participate in our business.?

He said: ?For example, in 2023, SPDC, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG) awarded $1.98 billion in contracts to Nigeria-registered companies, marking a 3% increase in value from the previous year. SCiN also directly employed more than 2,500 people (of whom 96% were Nigerian nationals) with over 9,000 contractors supporting operations.?

Okunbor reiterated that Shell has invested in game-changing businesses in Nigeria for over 60 years and will continue to power progress, positively impact lives, and unlock opportunities.

The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) is an association of Nigerian indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. PETAN was formed in 1994 to bring together Nigerian oil & gas entrepreneurs to create a forum for the exchange of ideas with the major operators, industry stakeholders and policy makers. PETAN is celebrating its 30th anniversary in December 2024.

?PHOTO: Executive Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Engineer Wole Ogunsanya (left), presenting the association Award for ?Excellence to an Astute and Visionary Technocrat? to the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, at a ceremony in Lagos recently.

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