OIL CLEANING BIO-PRODUCTS LTD.
PRESS RELEASE
"HEG" PRODUCTS IN NIGERIAN OIL SPILL CLEAN-UP TRIALS
March 1997
Oil Cleaning Bio-Products Ltd. will be providing materials for field trials by a major oil company for the clean-up of oil-contaminated land in Nigeria, following OCBP's participation in a successful UK Trade Mission to the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Fourteen British companies took part in high-level discussions with oil companies and business leaders in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri, as well as in field visits to oil facilities in the Niger Delta.
Commenting on the Mission, OCBP's Managing Director Richard Genochio said: "The aim was exploratory, and I was most encouraged by my findings. It was made clear to us that environmental protection is a key objective of the Nigerian government and of the oil companies. While some of the pollution of land by oil in recent years has been caused by equipment or operational failure, most has been caused by sabotage of pipelines and other installations. There is a strong determination to put this right, and there are great opportunities for British companies to supply equipment, materials and services as part of this effort. However, as I made clear in my speech, the best defence against pollution is preventative engineering through the design and manufacture of parts, equipment and whole plant. Here also British companies designing and manufacturing high quality pumps, compressors, generators, valves, shut-down devices, processing plant, flow meters, pigging equipment and pipelines can make a major contribution."
Concerning OCBP's own discussions in Nigeria, Mr. Genochio said: "The oil companies were very open about the environmental issues they faced. I was invited to visit some particularly problematic sites, and I am now pleased to announce that field trials will be conducted as soon as we can ship our bacterial "Heg" products. Their advantage in bioremediation in these circumstances is that they are effective, simple to use and biodegradable. I am very hopeful that through the oil companies our products can be of real assistance to Nigeria and her people in creating a cleaner environment."
Mr. Genochio added: "The Department of Trade and Industry and the commercial staff of the British High Commission in Lagos and Port Harcourt deserve all praise for arranging a first-rate programme of visits and meetings, and for impeccable logistics in moving our party around Nigeria on an intense and complex itinerary. Government support of this quality is invaluable to British companies seeking customers and partners in high-potential markets."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1) The Trade Mission lasted ten days. The following companies took part: Babcock King-Wilkinson, Bridon International Ltd., Costain Oil Gas and Process Ltd., Crosby Valve and Engineering Co. Ltd., Flowline Industries UK Ltd., Orbit Valve plc, Serck Baker Ltd., Skeltonhall Ltd., SNC Lavalin Europe Ltd., Sterling Fluid Products Ltd., TAD Eurotube Ltd., Triconex Europe Ltd., Triton Trading and Procurement Services Ltd. and Oil Cleaning Bio-Products Ltd.2) The companies visited by the Mission included: Shell, Mobil, Chevron, AGIP, Elf, Esso, BP, Texaco, Nigerian Gas Company Ltd., Nigeria LNG Ltd., and National Petroleum Investment Management Services. The Mission was led by Dr. Ken Forrest and John Major of the OSO. For further details of the Mission contact John Major at the OSO on 0141 228 3681, or David Pearey, Commercial Counsellor at the British High Commission in Lagos, tel. 00 234 1 261 9531.
3) The Mission held seminars in Lagos and Port Harcourt, attracting some 320 and 150 participants respectively. The Mission also visited oil and gas facilities at various locations.
4) The full text of Mr. Genochio's speech to the seminar is attached.
5) The "Heg" range of products consists of: Hegol (oil degrading bacteria added to a biodegradable surfactant, used for the removal of oil from concrete and from metallic and other hard surfaces, for vehicle/aircraft washing, for kitchen and lavatory drains and odour control, and for general commercial cleaning); Hegsolv (oil degrading bacteria added to a biodegradable and non-corrosive water-based solvent with rust inhibitor, used for degreasing, heavy-duty cleansing, as a parts washing liquid and to prepare surfaces for painting); Hegrem (oil-trapping absorbent made from biodegradable plant fibres with oil degrading bacteria, used loose for bioremediation of contaminated land); Hegfloor (non-abrasive low-dust premium absorbent for oil and fuel spilled on hard surfaces); and Hegsorb (biodegradable specially treated plant fibres which preferentially absorb and trap oil spilled in water and filter oil from water in effluent streams - also used in pillow or boom form to remove oil from interceptors and to protect drainage points).
6) OCBP Ltd. is the exclusive world-wide distributor of "Heg" products. It has appointed a Nigerian company to act as Distributor of the "Heg" products in Nigeria. For further information contact OCBP Ltd., PO Box 46, Royston, Herts. SG8 9PD, England; tel. (+44) (0)1763 287 749.
OCBP's Distributor in Saudi Arabia is The Arabian Establishment for Trade and Shipping Ltd., based Al-Khobar.