An international energy expert and chairman of Green Energy International Ltd (GEIL), the Operator of Otakikpo Marginal field in OML 11, Prof Anthony Adegbulugbe has been named as African Man of Year (oil & gas) for the year 2022 by the African Peace Magazine. This is coming after the successful hosting by the London based magazine of the International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit held in Angola,October 2022.
Presenting the award in Abuja, the Ambassador Republic of Equatorial Guinea to Nigeria, Fransico Edu Ngua Mangue, stated that the award was given to the recipient considering the leadership qualities and the giant strides recorded by his company GEIL under his leadership which made the company to deliver unprecedented result of increasing oil production from the field from 3,800bbls (barrels of oil per day) to 11000 bbls within six months by successfully drilling two new wells. It was also noted that the company”s LPG plant was nearing completion while it started development with other third parties an onshore crude storage terminal amongst other milestones.
Accompanied to the presentation by Ambassador Republic of Angola, represented by Counsellor HE NP Kafikiri and the Publisher of the African Peace Magazine, Noah Ajare, who stood in for the chairman of the publication Hon Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd), Ambassador Mangue said the award was intended to encourage high performing Africans to do more to uplift the economic and human capital standards of the African Continent.
He commended Professor Adegbulugbe, an MIT USA trained energy expert for utilising his expertise in turning a marginal field into a high performing energy company within a short period.
He said energy companies in Africa must continue to exchange ideas and share knowledge to expand the frontiers of technology for enhancing performance of the sector .
The diplomat said his country’s Minister of Petroleum resources will soon be visiting Nigeria to seek for collaboration with viable oil companies, adding that companies like Green Energy would be included among the companies for consultation .
Responding Prof Adegbulugbe expressed appreciation for the recognition saying the award will spur the management team of the company to do more in actualising the vision of setting up the company.
He said the company was determined to eliminate gas flaring in the nearest future by ensuring gas utilization from the field for gas to power and LPG extraction, which projects are in the completion stages.
“We are silently but surely implementing the vision of our company to make the Otakikpo marginal field a crude export terminal hub for several stranded marginal field in the Niger Delta area , thus unlocking value for the Nigerian economy”, Adegbulugbe stated
He commended the Federal regulatory agencies- the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for supporting and guiding the company in achieving the enviable milestones.