Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and its co-ventures (ExxonMobil, TOTAL and ENI) have donated a modern test laboratory to the Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW) at Imasabor - Ologbo, Benin City.

In an address at the commissioning of the centre, read by the General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, SPDC, Chiedu Oba, the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development of Company of Nigeria Ltd, Osagie Okunbor said “The test centre has huge potential to build and retain the much-needed welding capacity for the oil and gas industry.”

Okunbor said the laboratory is for non-destructive test and destructive test of materials, enabling users to obtain computerised information on materials tested, adding that “Shell Companies in Nigeria are committed to Nigerian content development and will continue to pursue opportunities to develop and deploy more locally manufactured products in their operations.”

The President of the Nigerian Institute of Welding, Solomon Edebiri, who thanked SNEPCo and her co-venturers, appealed for more support for effective utilisation of the NIW in the promotion of welding technology and practice in the country.