By Charles Pemu 
CAPE TOWN—UTM Offshore Limited is collaborating with a consortium of top global engineering firms to execute Nigeria’s groundbreaking Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project, according to the company’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Julius Rone.
Speaking at the African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Rone confirmed that the project, situated offshore Akwa Ibom State, is making significant progress due to strategic partnerships with international heavyweights, including Japan Gas Corporation (JGC), Technip Energies NV, and Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR).
Dr. Rone emphasized that securing the best engineering expertise was crucial from the onset. “I believe that one of the things that we got right from the beginning is to have the best engineering companies in the world. We have been able to get a consortium – Open Sea Technologies – as the team that is developing the Nigeria’s first FLNG project,” he stated.
Highlighting the critical steps toward achieving the Final Investment Decision (FID), Dr. Rone underscored the necessity of securing a reliable gas supply. He stressed the need for collaboration across the entire value chain—upstream, midstream, and downstream.
Specifically addressing the gas supply aspect, Dr. Rone revealed the company’s partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, which holds a joint venture with an International Oil Company.
“The asset identified from where we are going to form is a 60-40 split between the NNPC and the SEPLAT Energy,” he explained. Dr. Rone added that the gas identified for the project is currently being re-injected and has been officially declared as a stranded gas asset, making its utilization for the FLNG a critical environmental and economic venture.