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Weafri has
worked with big name companies such as Agip, Addax and
Chevron
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 roviding a wide range of services to the oil and
gas industry, from drilling fluid products to cementing and
sand control, Western African (Weafri) finds itself in
growing demand by the major foreign oil operators.
Weafri owns and operates a sizeable fleet of onshore and
offshore machinery available to help operators with many of
their most complex well requirements.
With American technical
support, it has worked for many of the big name companies,
including Agip, Addax and Chevron. The company now has a
Houston presence to add to its growing Nigerian profile.
Chris Onyekwere, Weafri’s Executive Director, singles out
Shell as the first major player to give the company a break,
allowing it to bid for crucial projects. “Right now we are
working for Shell and we are providing good quality services
for them,” he says.
Over time, the company
has proved its ability to compete. “We have the know-how, we
have a history of good job performance, and we deserve to be
given the opportunities. We deliver what the clients want, a
quality service and at the lowest cost. That is what has kept
us in the business.”
According to Mr Onyekwere,
Weafri’s strengths lie in its absorption of new
technologies, manpower and resources. The company has set its
own standards that are comparable on any level, a point that
operators have picked up on.
Although initial efforts to increase the stake of Nigerians in
the oil sector may have been slow, Weafri is making up for
lost time. Founded in 1988, the company has already witnessed
a great deal of change as the Nigerian market has gathered
momentum in the democratic era.
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Chris Onyekwere
Executive Director of
Weafri
‘We have the
know-how and a history of good performace’
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Huge investment in the
local oil sector, and the development of the gas industry, has
kept the work rolling in for local content firms. “This is
the greatest thing that has happened to Nigeria,” says Mr
Onyekwere.
But he believes that
there is still huge potential for the company – and other
indigenous players – to grow as the economy expands further.
After spending around 20 years in the United States, Mr
Onyekwere himself is in no doubt that progress is being made.
“A lot has improved in
Nigeria,” he says. “Before I came here I thought I might
be running back to where I came from within the year. But
today I am satisfied with what is happening on the ground.”
The future looks bright
with Weafri emerging as a market leader in certain niche
areas, such as advanced cementing, primary well construction
and coiled tubing well intervention. Mr Onyekwere says the
company needs to stay ahead amid increasing competition by
maintaining its high standards. “This is a competitive
world,” he says. “When there is competition, the clients
get the best service.”
www.weafriwellservices.com
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