Stories

The Nigeria LNG project has been a massive undertaking which commenced almost 25 years ago with KBR successfully providing FEED and EPC work on the first six trains. KBR, as leader of the Bonny7JV with partners TechnipFMC and JGC, is again taking an important role in the next phase of the project with the production of a FEED design package and EPC proposal for Train 7.

Nigeria LNG

The Train 7 project covers the addition of a complete LNG Train and an additional Common Liquefaction Unit (CLU) at the facility. The CLU draws feedstock from the six existing LNG trains delivered by KBR and partners from 1995 to 2007.

The project is being undertaken for Nigeria LNG Ltd, a combination of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Royal Dutch Shell (25.6%), Total (15%) and Eni (10.4%). A focus for the client throughout the project has been the development of the Nigerian engineering industry and KBR has been a major supporter of this initiative through the employment and training of the local workforce.

The FEED for Train 7 is being executed jointly between Leatherhead, England, which is the lead execution center, and Lagos, NIgeria. The team in Lagos is around 170 strong and consists of KBR expats from Leatherhead and Chennai, and a team of Nigerian engineers employed by a consortium of Netco, DeltaAfrik, IESL and Crestech (known as NDIC). The KBR expats provide coordination with and oversight of the NDIC engineering team.

James Bird, Senior Principal Designer

James Bird, Senior Principal Designer, began working on the Nigeria LNG project in June 2018 following the completion of another assignment. As a native to the UK, his move to Lagos has proven to be professionally challenging because of differing cultural expectations about work methods but overall very rewarding.

I have been able to pass on some knowledge to the local workers and get them aligned with KBR's methodology around HSSE and engineering standards," Bird explained. "We are finding opportunities for improvement and I like the enthusiasm of the local sub-contractors." he said. "I would encourage other [KBR professionals] to come and work in Nigeria: the work is challenging but KBR has a strong reputation in Nigeria and the company has a great legacy to build upon with the local workforce and community on the whole," he continued.

Ashwin Shah, Senior Technical Lead, has worked on all seven Nigeria LNG trains with increasing engineering responsibility and has spent considerable time on site at Bonny Island. "Sharing my knowledge and experience with the Nigerians is exciting," Shah said. "They are very friendly, courteous, and respectful and are willing to learn and listen to you. Assisting them when required is very much appreciated".

Ashwin Shah, Senior Technical Lead

Shah was born and grew up in Kenya and then moved to the UK to further his studies. "My love for Kenya and Africa at large has never diminished and I took up the opportunity to work here in Nigeria at various stages of Nigeria LNG projects. The best part of working at site is the challenge to solve the construction problems correctly in short time and see first-hand the completion of the project. I'd encourage colleagues to take this great opportunity to work in Nigeria. It is extremely challenging but it is a sheer pleasure sharing your experience with the locals."

KBR is excited to be part of this project and the opportunity to build on past successes. Our team is committed to helping build a better Nigeria through this significant project."