TotalEnergies Exploring Opportunities in Renewables, to end Gas Flaring this year- Bandele

The company has stated its intention to continue doing business in Nigeria and is looking for prospects in renewable energies, according to Mr. Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director of Deepwater Asset.

During the Africa's Energy players session of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, SAIPEC 2023, which took place February 14–16 at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, Bandele, who was in attendance to represent the Managing Director, Mike Sangster, provided insights into the company's plan while exchanging opinions.

“We are distributing energy, solar energy already in Nigeria and we are going to consolidate on that. We are looking at new opportunities in Nigeria,” Bandele said

He reiterated that TotalEnergies is here for the long haul. “We are here to stay, to consolidate on our business. We are here for growth. We are here for all the legal opportunities especially in renewable energies.”

The DMD outlined the company’s contributions to gas development in the past 15 years and said that the country could leverage on that to achieve a brighter future in gas development. He explained that the company constructed the NOPL pipeline since 2012 and has been feeding the domestic consumers and supplying gas to NLNG.Bandele disclosed that “by the end of this year there would be no routine flaring in any of our installations in Nigeria,” noting that companies were growing the opportunities in the country while the government had also tried to create the enabling environment with the Petroleum Industry Act but could do more.“A lot still needs to be done because I still have pipelines that are vandalized; I still have pipelines that cannot be used due to people vandalizing them,” he added but maintained that “everybody in Nigeria is appreciating that gas is the way to go.”

The panel moderated by Dr Ernest Nwapa, Pioneer Executive Secretary, NCDMB and Pro Chancellor, Imo State University included Mr. Iyke Nnoaham, BOM Bonga Main and North, SNEPCO; Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director (Deep water Asset) TotalEnergies; and Fabrizio Bolondi, Managing Director ENI Companies in Nigeria (NAOC, NAE & AENR).

The second day of the conference also featured the Manager, Nigerian Content Operations, Monitoring and Compliance, Mr. Achese Amadi making valuable contributions at a panel session themed “African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at five, International Oil Companies, National Oil Companies and Regulators.” Mr Achese represented Mr Alex Aghedo, the Executive General Manager, Contracts, Procurement & Nigeria Content.

Delegates from the company were active at the conference just as the TotalEnergies’ booth attracted high-profile visitors, including the Vice President Upstream of NNPCL, Adokiye Tombomieye, and the Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Nick Odinuwe.