The CHC EC225 crews who had gone to pick up the new helicopters from the Eurocopter factory have been sent home and the aircraft are still in France. The Agbami contract has still not been announced - what's the betting the Bristow S92s will also not be 'on their way coming' until a contract is finally awarded.
The attack on the Bonga field by MEND terrorists has now reduced the Nigerian oil production to only 1.6 million barrels per day. This is having a significant effect on the GDP of the Nigerian economy and is likely to have an impact on oil-related developments. Development of Agbami is already well under way, with both CHC and Bristow flying there in S76s, but without the larger EC225s and S92s which were due to have been here long ago, that development is likely to suffer a significant slowdown. Much of the delay in the award of the aviation contract lies with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, not Chevron. NNPC holds a 60% stake in all foreign oil ventures in Nigeria, but is renowned for its inefficiency and corruption. The President wants to privatise it, but up until now, it still has the power to influence every aspect of the oil industry in this country and its overinflated staff still get their cut of everything
. There now seem to be clear indications that several other deep water projects will be significantly delayed or shelved until such time as the government gets to grips with the militants. If past experience is anything to go by the combination of a weak government and a military who are also weak (except when dealing with hapless, unarmed civilians) and corrupt, the situation will not improve at any time in the short or even medium term. Nigeria is already being eclipsed by Angola, and shortly Libya, in oil output. With more finds off the coast of West Africa, most recently in Ghana in countries without the violence of this country, Nigeria is likely to take more of a back seat in future developments, despite its large reserves of hydrocarbons.
The future of the oil industry here, which only 2 years ago seemed to be one of constant expansion, with the helicopter industry following, now seems to be more one of retrenchment until leaders with the commitment and means to get to grips with the twin problems of violence and corruption. Sadly, that appears to be a long way into the future as it will take several generations of change to have any meaningful effect
