Committed to Sustaining Oil and Gas Assets in Africa
Committed to Sustaining Oil and Gas Assets in Africa Altrad Services Africa has been a leader in the oil and gas industry for nearly 40 years, focusing on asset integrity and innovative maintenance solutions to ensure the longevity of energy investments in a rapidly evolving market. Nigeria and Angola subsidiary Managing Directors, Maya Omar and Gerald Green, discuss initiatives for their respective companies Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Josh Whiteside
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perational since the 1980s, Altrad Services Africa, part of the Altrad Group, has developed a long-lasting relationship with the oil and gas industry. Indeed, two of the group’s subsidiaries in West Africa, Prezicon Limited – a joint venture (JV) in Nigeria between the Altrad Group and Desicon Limited – and Altrad Prezioso Angola, have built a reputation and trust for providing safe, efficient, and cost-effective maintenance solutions. “We focus primarily on asset integrity in the oil and gas sector, helping local oil companies (LOCs) and international oil companies 2 | Africa Outlook Issue 121
(IOCs) maintain and extend the lifespan of their investments. Our services include industrial surface preparation, painting, access solutions, and non-destructive testing (NDT),” opens Maya Omar, Managing Director of Prezicon Limited. “We tailor our services to meet client needs, conducting surveys to recommend maintenance programmes, especially for corrosion and insulation protection. Furthermore, our comprehensive offerings include scaffolding, rope access, and lighter platforms like V-Deck™ – a modular suspended platform.”
Altrad Prezioso Angola, meanwhile, has operated in the country for more than 35 years and is now the group’s largest industrial-services business in Africa, employing nearly 2,000 people and working from key sites in Luanda, Cabinda, Lobito, and Soyo, supporting both offshore and onshore energy assets. “Two recently inaugurated operational bases in Luanda bring together our principal teams, equipment storage, workshops, and training facilities, giving us a stronger platform from which to serve clients and develop local capability,” adds Gerald Green, Managing Director of
ALTRAD SERVICES AFRICA OIL & GAS
the Angolan subsidiary. “Our core activity is integrated fabric maintenance and assetintegrity support. We combine access solutions – principally scaffolding and rope access – with surface preparation, protective coatings, thermal insulation, passive fire protection, NDT, inspection, mechanical services, industrial cleaning, and repair solutions.” This integrated model means a client can address several maintenance needs through one coordinated delivery team, reducing interfaces and improving planning, safety, and execution.
“Our client base includes major international operators, Angolan energy companies and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors. We have longstanding relationships across Angola’s principal offshore assets, including longterm work with TotalEnergies and Chevron, and we are expanding our contribution to onshore, gas, and refining activities,” Green continues. Indeed, the business combines a deeply established Angolan workforce with the technical reach of the wider Altrad Group, allowing proven international methods and technologies to be deployed locally.
FOSTERING TRUST Collaborating with both IOCs and LOCs, such as TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), Prezicon Limited’s other key clients include Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Seplat Energy (Seplat). “We’ve noticed a growing presence of local investors in the past few years. We’ve built a strong relationship with NLNG over more than 15 years, and they trust us to deliver. However, I always remind my team and clients not to take this trust for granted,” Omar gently outlines. Africa Outlook Issue 121 | 3
are in the second year of a five-year contract, collaborating with the local shareholder Desicon Engineering (Desicon). Seplat is now actively involved in major tank projects, including scaffolding, blasting, and painting on a live plant, demonstrating our capability to perform extensive online work as well. “Seplat is set to initiate rope access works, a potentially risky endeavour. However, client trust in our certifications and expertise is key. Building strong relationships through timely delivery, safety, and quality is essential, as clients value results over personal interactions,” discusses Omar.
NAVIGATING CHALLENGES
“Fostering a culture of belonging here enhances our pride, helping us deliver projects on time whilst maintaining safety and quality standards” – M AYA O M A R , M A N A G I N G D I R E C TO R , P R E Z I CO N L I M I T E D
“Building trust is essential, which is why we continue to provide support and meet with them regularly. Our visibility as leaders – whether myself or the business unit top managers – has made interactions much easier, allowing us to share our thoughts on how things should be done, and they are more likely to trust our judgment.” Maintaining a trusted relationship 4 | Africa Outlook Issue 121
with NLNG, Prezicon Limited emphasises routine inspections and regular yearly shutdowns, such as the significant one planned for September. During this time, the company will introduce thermal spray aluminium technology, importing equipment and experts to ensure successful operations. “In our partnership with Seplat, we
In Angola, Green recognises the need to help clients extend the life of mature offshore assets whilst controlling costs and maintaining production in a challenging marine environment. However, the sector expects stronger local content, shorter delivery times, and access to new technology. “Logistics and the availability of specialist materials can be challenging, particularly when equipment has historically been imported for individual projects. “Our response is to integrate trades more effectively, use inspection data to focus work on the highestvalue interventions, and deploy technologies that reduce exposure hours and offshore duration,” he explains. Altrad Prezioso Angola is strengthening local procurement and supplier relationships, investing in training and nationalisation, and bringing international specialists into the country to transfer capability rather than create permanent dependence. “Above all, we cannot allow commercial or scheduling pressure to weaken safety: a good safety record
ALTRAD SERVICES AFRICA OIL & GAS
is only valid up to yesterday, so it must be earned again every day through visible leadership, planning, and disciplined execution,” asserts Green. Meanwhile, particularly in Nigeria, Omar has faced excessive bureaucracy and delays in project discussions and decision-making processes. “I have found it can take years for projects to materialise due to the complexities involved in navigating systems and client organisations. Dealing with various offices and decision-makers adds to the frustration. “Moreover, to diversify our services, we’ll continue to integrate technology
to meet client needs, enhance online offerings like inspections and robotics, and focus on asset integrity solutions,” Omar informs.
HARNESSING INNOVATION Prezicon Limited’s services enhance asset integrity and combat corrosion with advanced technologies, transitioning from outdated blasting methods to innovative solutions like robotic ultra-high-pressure (UHP) water systems. Using robotics in maintenance decreases the risk to humans in hazardous environments and improves safety, particularly for tasks such as blasting and painting.
PREZICON LIMITED’S PROJECTS A recent example of local projects is the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery, which was managed by Maire Tecnimont, an Italian EPC. Prezicon Limited extended the project from one year to nearly three years, tripling initial turnover by blasting and painting 13 tanks and introducing a robot to reduce costs and abrasive materials. “Despite initial challenges with the new technology, we completed the project on time, which led to additional piping work due to our strong adherence to HSE quality standards. Recently, we refurbished two vital water ballast tanks for the floating storage and offloading (FSO) Unity vessel for TotalEnergies, facing significant challenges with limited personnel and logistics,” Omar acknowledges. “We employed an innovative recovery blasting machine, the first of its kind offshore in Africa, which reduced abrasive waste and efficiently reached depths of 20 metres. Thorough risk assessments were conducted to ensure safety and environmental compliance. Instead of traditional scaffolding, we used a lightweight hanging scaffold system called V-Deck™, significantly reducing transportation logistics and reflecting our commitment to modernising project execution.” The project included mobilisation, toolbox talks, scaffolding, and V-Deck™ erection for safe access, followed by surface preparation with abrasive and UHP blasting, inspection, and painting as per approved specifications. The introduction of lightweight V-Deck™ technology on the FSO Unity 2P tank reduced material weight by 70 percent compared to scaffolding. Prezicon Limited utilised eco-friendly MC Globe grit recycling technology, recycling steel grits up to 50 times to minimise environmental impact. Going a step further, using UHP water blasting instead of conventional blasting mitigated the effects of waste grits on the environment.
In a recent project with SNEPCo, robotics were deployed, whilst a separate initiative on water ballast tanks for TotalEnergies significantly reduced abrasive logistics from 400500 tonnes to just 50 tonnes, thereby minimising carbon emissions. “Clients prioritise efficient asset maintenance, emphasising the need for innovative technology. Collaboration with sister companies, such as Altrad UK’s online de-sanding technology, provides a competitive advantage,” states Omar. “We also partner with Remotion for robotic solutions and Beerenberg, now proudly part of the Altrad Group, for insulation whilst focusing on internal networking for expertise sharing. For specific technologies, we connect with colleagues in other locations, like Altrad Singapore and Altrad Prezioso France, to support operational capabilities.” Recent discussions highlighted thermal insulation as a branding opportunity, particularly regarding corrosion under insulation (CUI) and energy efficiency. “Collaborating with a sister company in the Benelux Union, we’re about to deploy thermal cameras to assess assets and improve energy efficiency, with plans to expand this initiative into Nigeria and Africa,” Omar shares. For Altrad Prezioso Angola, technology is valuable as it makes work safer, faster, and more predictable. The company is also introducing Remotion’s remotely operated robots for offshore blasting and painting, reducing the time personnel spend in hazardous or difficult-to-access areas. “We are deploying Abyss Solutions’ three-dimensional asset mapping, which creates a navigable digital representation of two Chevron offshore assets. Teams in Luanda, Cabinda, or overseas can review an area remotely, locate equipment, and plan a work scope before travelling offshore,” Green enlightens. Africa Outlook Issue 121 | 5
RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED is a Unique Engineering Company establishment with the concept of bringing Hi-Tech Services into the Engineering construction world. This believes sprang up when it was observed that the changing world today does not allow vacuum in its innovative engineering concept.
RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED is an indigenous Oil and Allied Services Company whose scope of engineering operation covers corrosion control services, civil construction and maintenance, mechanical and electrical works and services, fabrication and erection works, scaffolding, labour supply and management, and offshore and onshore purchasing and supply. The company was established in 2005 under the Companies and Allied Matters Decree of 1990 with an operational office at Kilometer 2, DSC Expressway, Otokutu Warri-Delta state, Nigeria.
MISSION STATEMENT:
RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED will endeavour to provide innovative corrosion control solutions, technologies, and resources to meet the needs of each client and to be the preeminent provider of superior engineering procurement and construction services by consistently improving the quality of our products; to add value for clients through innovation, foresight, integrity, and aggressive performance; and to serve with character and purpose in Nigeria.
VISION STATEMENT:
Our vision at RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED is to have a unique magic touch in our quest to bring into focus some modern techniques which will reduce man-hours lost, increase productivity, lower material waste to it barest minimum and increase profit base. We can achieve this by introducing a new management concept.
CORE SERVICE AREAS
1. Engineering Services •
Corrosion Control Services
•
Blasting and Painting Services
•
Fabrication and Installation Services
•
Civil Construction
2. Procurement Services •
Supply of GMA Garnet Abrasive (Nigeria Sole Representative)
•
Supply of Grit Abrasive (Rugos 2000 Aluminum Silicate) (Nigeria Sole Representative)
•
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All our products meet international standards and will give value for your money. At RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED, we specialise in the importation and supply of premium abrasive blasting materials trusted for corrosion control and surface preparation across the oil and gas industry.
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GMA Garnet Abrasive (Nigeria Sole Representative)
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RUGOS 2000 Aluminum Silicate Grit (Nigeria Sole Representative)
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Engineered for superior cleaning performance, our abrasives help remove rust, scale, old coatings, and contaminants, ensuring optimal surface preparation before protective coatings are applied. Strong surfaces begin with the right abrasives. RI-TECHNIQUE INTERGRATED LIMITED — Delivering quality abrasive solutions for lasting corrosion protection. Providing excellent and timely service delivery with reliable supply solutions. Stay connected.
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Other examples of innovation for Altrad Prezioso Angola include Technowrap™ composite-repair systems, Quickflange™ technology weldless flange installation, V-Deck™ modular access solutions, pressurised habitats, and advanced inspection tools that enable controlled work in sensitive operating areas. “We have also invested in bringing new solutions into Angola through our technology programme and live demonstrations at our Luanda base. The objective is not simply to import equipment, but to prove the technology with clients, train local personnel, and build an enduring Angolan service capability around it,” highlights Green. These solutions can reduce scaffolding quantities, offshore personnel exposure, travel, shutdown duration, and total execution hours. The Altrad Group gives its subsidiaries access to technologies already proven in other markets; the role of the companies is to demonstrate them locally thus validating the application with the client.
Maya Omar, Managing Director
COMMITTED TO FEMALE LEADERSHIP
focus on women’s empowerment in Africa as part of our
The emphasis on diversity within Prezicon Limited’s team
Lagos supporting women facing mental health challenges,
is rooted in the belief that it benefits the company as a
providing safe spaces, and employment support through a
whole, fostering an inclusive environment that welcomes
partnership with a charity,” Omar sets out.
everyone.
CSR efforts. Initiatives include a rehabilitation centre in
Community initiatives include skill development projects
This commitment is backed by data from a recent national
such as tailoring, gardening, and catering, where
seminar, showing how women have progressed in their
participants receive training and resources. At the end of
careers from different trades to skilled roles and team
each programme year, the top performers are equipped
leaders.
with tools to start their own businesses.
The company promotes female leadership across various
Additionally, the company supports local education by
levels, with a focus on training female QC, HSE, permit
funding two teachers for 20 to 30 children and contributes
holders, team lead, etc. Women primarily occupy finance
to an orphanage.
and management positions in the support functions. In onshore projects like Bonny Island’s NLNG project, more than 20 percent of the workforce is female.
“Our approach aims for sustainable development through empowerment, with community engagement initiatives like supporting local basketball events to strengthen
“We embrace a comprehensive diversity strategy,
ties and foster collaboration whilst blending business
including gender, ethnicity, and disability, with a strong
objectives with social responsibility,” smiles Omar.
8 | Africa Outlook Issue 121
ALTRAD SERVICES AFRICA OIL & GAS
SURFACE PREPARATION DELIVERED. Established in 1995, ECCO Finishing are specialists in the manufacture and supply of surface preparation and coating equipment. We also provide dust and fume extraction as well as abrasive recovery systems for demanding industrial environments.
We deliver cost-effective, reliable solutions into the Oil & Gas, Renewables, Shipbuilding, Ship Repair and general industrial sectors - supported by a large nationwide hire fleet ready when you need it.
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INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
“Success will be measured by the capability we leave in the country, the value we create for clients, and the consistency with which every job is delivered safely and to specification” – G E R A L D G R E E N , M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R , A LT R A D P R E Z I O S O ANGOLA
Altrad Prezioso Angola implements best practices for fire protection systems and corrosion management in offshore environments. Corrosion control starts with assessing factors like salt, humidity, and UV radiation. “We perform condition surveys to select the right preparation and coating methods, such as abrasive blasting and UHP water jetting, whilst adhering to environmental controls,” Green emphasises. Quality control (QC) is upheld through surface condition verification, coating traceability, and thickness checks. For passive fire protection, the company ensures proper substrate preparation and uses approved materials that meet client specifications. “We view access, inspection, corrosion protection, insulation, and fire protection as an integrated system, utilising digital asset mapping and advanced techniques to enhance
efficiency. Regular inspections and prompt repairs of small defects help prevent water ingress and costly structural issues,” Green points out. In addition, NDT services offered by Altrad Prezioso Angola help maintain the integrity of energy assets. “Our Angola inspection teams provide conventional NDT services such as visual inspection, ultrasonic thickness measurement, as well as weld inspection, magnetic-particle inspection, and dye-penetrant testing,” specifies Green. “Depending on the asset and inspection objective, we can also mobilise advanced capabilities through the Altrad network, including phased-array and longrange ultrasonic testing, eddycurrent and alternating current field measurement (ACFM) inspection, thermography, positive material identification, remote scanning, and drone-assisted surveys.” Africa Outlook Issue 121 | 9
IN WHAT WAYS DOES ALTRAD PREZIOSO ANGOLA’S EXPERTISE IN THERMAL INSULATION CONTRIBUTE TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND COST SAVINGS FOR ITS CLIENTS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY? Gerald Green, Managing Director: “Effective insulation is both an integrity measure and an energy-efficiency measure. “Correctly designed and maintained hot, cold, and specialist insulation reduces heat loss or unwanted heat gain, keeps processes within their required temperature range, and lowers the energy needed to maintain operating conditions. It also protects personnel, controls condensation and noise, and improves the reliability of equipment and piping. “We assess existing systems using visual surveys, thermography and targeted inspection, then prioritise damaged or underperforming areas. This allows clients to invest where the energy and integrity return is greatest instead of replacing insulation indiscriminately. “Particular attention is given to water ingress and corrosion under insulation: suitable materials, weatherproof cladding, correctly detailed joints and penetrations, and disciplined inspection and reinstatement to prevent moisture from becoming a hidden corrosion mechanism. “The result is reduced energy consumption and emissions, fewer unplanned repairs, and a lower whole-life cost for the asset.”
10 | Africa Outlook Issue 121
The key advantage is that inspection is integrated with access and repair. Rope-access technicians can reach difficult areas with less scaffolding and disruption, whilst the inspection results are used to identify deterioration, trend wall loss, prioritise repairs, and support decisions on remaining asset life. “Where a defect is found, we can move from inspection to surface treatment, composite repair, mechanical intervention, or insulation replacement through one coordinated plan. This helps clients minimise downtime, direct maintenance expenditure to the highest-risk areas, and preserve the safe operating envelope of ageing assets,” Green notes.
EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES Prezicon Limited’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives now encompass diverse backgrounds, originally centred on women and promoting inclusivity; the company also emphasises digitalisation
ALTRAD SERVICES AFRICA OIL & GAS
for project management and has launched a well-being programme featuring team-building and cultural representation activities. “Fostering a culture of belonging here enhances our pride, helping us deliver projects on time whilst maintaining safety and quality standards,” Omar expresses. “We emphasise targeted CSR rooted in personal connections and cultural values, prioritising transparency and genuine community impact over mere donations, adhering to ethical guidelines for fund allocation.” A basketball CSR program launched two years ago has significantly engaged communities in Rivers State, particularly in capital city Port Harcourt. Updates on these initiatives are shared via social media, highlighting the team’s grassroots efforts. In Port Harcourt, Prezicon Limited trains underprivileged children with athletic potential, conducting sessions three times a week and managing all logistics, with some athletes even poised to represent the country in competitions. Additionally, the company is developing an Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) Training Centre for oil and gas certification,
though delays have occurred due to travel restrictions for UK citizens. It is also set to launch a graduate empowerment programme on Bonny Island, which will provide mentoring and training for recent graduates interested in engineering careers. Prezicon Limited has received an ISO 37001 certification for anticorruption and ethics, reinforcing its commitment to ethical practices. Furthermore, to enhance safety reporting, the company has created a digital app for health, safety, and Africa Outlook Issue 121 | 11
environment (HSE) concerns. Finally, it has initiated a quarterly newsletter to keep stakeholders informed of progress and challenges. There is a unified goal across both nations to foster a strong sense of community and pride. Altrad Prezioso Angola’s success is largely attributed to its team, which consists predominantly of Angolan professionals. “Our responsibility extends beyond merely providing jobs; we aim to cultivate credible technical and leadership careers through training, certification, career progression opportunities, and exposure to the broader Altrad network. My longterm goal is to have the business fully led and operated by Angolan professionals,” Green impassions. Additionally, the company wants its contributions to extend beyond project work. Therefore, it supports Angolan students studying in France, maintains an active relationship with a local orphanage, and organises environmental initiatives involving employees. For instance, during Altrad Prezioso Angola’s recent World Environment Day beach clean-up in Luanda, volunteers removed over 10 tonnes of waste. 12 | Africa Outlook Issue 121
ALTRAD SERVICES AFRICA OIL & GAS
These efforts align with the company’s core principle that longterm success must balance economic contributions, people development, safety, and environmental responsibility.
STRATEGIC GROWTH Several developments illustrate Altrad Prezioso Angola’s trajectory, including recently securing a five-year renewal supporting Chevron’s operations in Cabinda whilst continuing integrated maintenance services across major offshore assets for clients including TotalEnergies. The company is also expanding its onshore and downstream contribution, including insulation work supporting the Luanda Refinery. “Our projects reinforce our position as a long-term partner capable of delivering access, coatings, insulation, inspection, and associated maintenance under one management system,” Green details. Digitalisation is also an area for Altrad Prezioso Angola with its threedimensional asset mapping. The platform allows users to navigate the facility remotely, identify locations by equipment or line reference, and prepare work packs with much better visibility. It reduces repeated survey travel, shortens planning cycles, and brings offshore assets closer to engineering and operational teams wherever they are based. The company’s two principal priorities for the coming year are diversification through technology and integrated solutions. “We want to be the partner that clients approach with an integrity or maintenance challenge, knowing that we can draw on the wider Altrad Group and selected technology partners to propose, demonstrate, and deliver the most suitable solution locally. “Growth should come not only from doing more of the same work, but from adding higher-value
inspection, digital, repair, mechanical, and efficiency capabilities,” Green elaborates. The second priority is nationalisation. Altrad Prezioso Angola’s ambition is for the main supervisory, technical, onshore, and offshore positions to be occupied by Angolan professionals, supported by clear succession plans, training, and international exposure. Alongside this, it will continue to strengthen safety performance, local procurement, operational efficiency, and the ability to support emerging offshore, gas, and refinery developments.
“Success will be measured by the capability we leave in the country, the value we create for clients, and the consistency with which every job is delivered safely and to specification,” Green resolutely concludes.
Tel: +234 (0) 811 3936 001 admin.prezicon@altrad.com
www.prezicon.com Africa Outlook Issue 121 | 13
Tel: +234(0)811 3936 001 admin.prezicon@altrad.com www.prezicon.com
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