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GE Oil & Gas has added the capability to fabricate subsea wellheads in Nigeria. The announcement was made in Lagos by Uzo Nwagwu, chief operating officer for GE Oil & Gas in Nigeria.

The company regards this as a major milestone for GE Oil & Gas in their efforts to substantially increase the local capabilities of its operations in Nigeria.

The new wellhead production capabilities at GE’s existing Onne facility in River State align with the Nigerian federal government’s local law.

With this achievement, GE’s customers operating in Nigeria no longer need to import these fabricated wellheads, thereby reducing costs and improving delivery time.

“GE Oil & Gas has a vision to ‘Fuel the Future’ by delivering cost-effective customer solutions on time wherever they are needed across the globe,” said GE’s Uzo Nwagwu. “By investing now in the development of our people and facilities, we are able to localize subsea wellhead assembly and partner with local suppliers to create a more sustainable business for Nigeria.”

Nwagwu referred to the establishment of the subsea wellhead fabrication capabilities in Onne as “a true win-win proposition for the indigenous industry and the Nigerian content agenda.”

GE’s Onne facility in River State has been operating since 2002. This purpose-built facility is the first and only portside facility of its caliber in Nigeria and employs more than 200 people. It has an exceptional safety record and is a cornerstone in GE’s commitment to the country’s oil and gas industry. With continually expanding capabilities, the site provides complete assembly, testing and life cycle service for subsea tree systems, subsea control modules, specialty connectors and pipe. It also includes a dedicated on-site training center and offers broad business development opportunities for local suppliers.

GE spends $11 million annually to service facilities in Onne and Port Harcourt and is investing $250 million in manufacturing and assembly facilities in Calabar, Cross River State by 2018. This $250 million investment is expected to create 2,300 jobs in the local economy. An additional $750 million will be allocated to sourcing local supplies and employee training in the surrounding communities as well as expanding GE’s service facility in Onne.