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he secret of success for Nigerian drilling contractor Drillog-Petrodynamics has been its hunger for new technology as well as a consistent approach to quality and improvement. That is the opinion of Managing Director Ralph Ekezie, who sought back in 1990 when the company was first founded to redress some of the prejudices against Nigerian engineers among international oil operators.
With nearly two decades
experience representing Schlumberger, the world's leading oilfield services
company, including acting as country manager, Mr Ekezie was the right
man for the job. Today, Drillog is the number one indigenous Nigerian
company in directional and horizontal well drilling, in addition to
other advanced techniques.
The last 15 years or so have not been easy, but the company has persevered
to achieve its current high standing. Mr Ekezie says the initial challenge
was simply to try to bridge the technology gap. “Obviously you
have to start in steps,” he says. This meant beginning with borehole
services, to locate the position of the well in the structure, before
moving on to more complex directional drilling.
However, Drillog continues
to push its technological boundaries, drawing on expertise from outside
where necessary.
“US companies have always played a role in providing us with the
technology we require and then we purchase these technologies when they
become commercial,” Mr Ekezie comments.
As well as state-of-the-art technology, the company invests heavily in its personnel, a move that has enhanced its reputation among leading players like Shell Petroleum Development Company. Its engineers are now routinely packed off to the US for extensive training.
It is part of a commitment to quality, says Mr Ekezie. “You have to really prove that you will be able to do it because as soon as you get out on a rig, you’ll be costing people money.”
As well as drilling, the company offers other services such as logging, well planning and well surveys. It has also made the leap into Nigeria’s deep offshore territory, without any trouble at all. The company played a role in drilling the Shell-operated Bonga field, the country’s first producing deepwater oil field. This project alone has won the company plenty of plaudits.
In one major new venture, Mr Ekezie says the company has linked up with US services giant Halliburton to offer its products locally, another testament to its abilities. “We are now at the forefront of the industry, in terms of the level of technology we have,” he says.
Technology and training have given the company its competitive edge
Although adept at working with foreign enterprises in Nigeria, Drillog is nonetheless playing a leading role in the development of the indigenous oil industry.
“The local content policy must be the engine to fire the economy,” says Mr Ekezie. “If it doesn’t have any multiplying effect then it is just like getting the oil and selling it for cash.”
Tel: +44 20 76296213, Fax: +44 20 74953707 - [email protected]