Samsung resumes activities at SHI-MCI Yard as Pacific Ruby berths in Lagos

There was excitement among Nigeria’s maritime stakeholders following the berthing of an international vessel christened ‘PACIFIC RUBY’ at the SHI-MCI yard invested in Lagos by Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN) Limited.

The resumption of operations at the SHI-MCI yard has given a boost to the efforts of the global shipbuilding giant to use the yard, the first of its kind in Africa, to make Nigeria a hub of integration and fabrication of Floating Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessels, LNG tankers, ship repairs and shipbuilding in sub-Saharan Africa.

The dimension of the vessel is 249.869 metres length, 43.8 metres breadth, 21.2 metres depth, and 13.6 metres designed draught.

The SHI-MCI yard had made history as the first integration quay in Africa to receive a 330-metre long FPSO unit for the installation of six topside modules that were fabricated in Nigeria.

Being a reputable investor that operates in accordance with the Nigerian laws, SHI-MCI applied for and received all the necessary approvals from the relevant federal government agencies, including the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), for the berthing of PACIFIC RUBY.

In the application for the approvals, the Chief Executive Officer of SHI-MCI, Mr. Jinsu Park, informed the Nigerian government that “the purpose of the berthing at the quayside is for the vessel to undergo some maintenance works for a short period, not longer than two weeks.”

Park, however, added that the duration of the maintenance works would depend on the prevalent conditions, with respect to weather complexities that may arise in the course of the maintenance.

He listed the scope of works to include: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tank cleaning, exchange of fuel filter and manhole insulation work.

Park also disclosed that the business of berthing of international vessels is line with the company’s activities in its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Citing Clause 3 (b) (c) (d) and the omnibus clause 3 (g), Park pointed out that the enterprise is in marine vessels business “ and is allowed specifically in Clause 3 (d) to carry on the business of structures and facilities for marine vessels and all desirables thereof.”

According to Park, the berthing of the vessels at the SHI-MCI Quay for offloading and maintenance works is clearly in line with the company’s approved business activities as filed with the relevant agencies of the Nigerian government.

The berthing of the Pacific Ruby, which was also built by Samsung Heavy Industries Korea on July 9, 2021 represented another milestones after the SHI-MCI yard had successfully fabricated and integrated the Egina Floating Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The Egina FPSO, designed for 25 years of operations, added 200,000 barrels of oil per day to Nigeria’s oil production, representing approximately 10 per cent of the country’s total oil production.

Being the first project to be launched after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, Egina FPSO advanced the Nigerian Content to record levels and has by far the highest Nigerian Content ever completed in an oil and gas project.

The hosting and maintenance of PACIFIC RUBY is the second major project to be handled by the SHI-MCI yard since the sail-way of the Egina FPSO to the deep offshore oilfield in August 2018.

Commenting on the successful berthing of the vessel, the Managing Director of Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, Mr. Jejin Jeon, thanked the various agencies of the Nigerian Government, particular the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (MITI), Port Health Services-Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for supporting foreign investors, including SHIN, that are operating in Nigeria.

Jeon said the cooperation received by his company from these agencies of the government was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s aspiration to support reputable investors in order to create employment opportunities and grow the Nigerian economy.

He said SHIN is in Nigeria for the long-term, pointing out that the company has demonstrated its faith in Nigeria through the huge investment it has made and in the training of Nigerians in the SHI-MCI yard and its Korean yard.

The Nation Ng