October 2018

How did you come to be in the oil and gas industry?

In 2007 I read in the news that significant oil deposits had been discovered off the coast of Ghana and that the country was going to have a sustained oil and gas industry. The news item indicated that oil was going to represent a significant part of Ghana’s economy for many years into the future.

I started researching and reading in-depth about the oil & gas industry – OMA was already providing ship agency and logistics support service in Togo and Benin and Ghana seemed like the natural next step but including specific support services to contractors and sub-contractors in the oil & gas industry. OMA Ghana was registered in 2009 and soon followed by OMA Côte d’Ivoire and OMA Logistics Senegal.

Today, OMA operates in six West African countries providing significant oil & gas support services to leading companies in the industry. We have created a platform that allows our indigenous people to work with international oil & gas companies, leading to harmonious exchange of knowledge, skills and technology transfer. Our operations and footprints are still expanding, and we are poised to invest and establish a firm foothold in the MSGBC Basin.

What makes the MSGBC Basin an attractive region to do business?

The US Geological Survey in 2016 estimated that there are at least 41 billion untapped barrels of crude oil in sub-Saharan Africa, and in the last 5 years two of the major oil & gas discoveries have taken place in the MSGBC Basin – in Senegal and Mauritania.

It’s a region which remains largely underexplored.  Cairn Energy’s exploration in Senegal resulted in the world’s largest offshore oil discovery in 2014 and this, along with the Kosmos Energy gas deposit discovery, is an indicator of the potential of the region.  Such discoveries bring welcome additional business opportunities to the region.    The geographic location of the MSGBC Basin, with its proximity to the buying markets, makes the sale of the product simpler and less expensive to transport.

What do you see as the key challenges facing the industry in the MSGBC region over the coming 5-10 years and how is OMA positioned to overcome these challenges?

The MSGBC region is a rapidly developing area for the oil & gas sector and as a consequence, the industry demands that challenges in developing the much-needed logistics infrastructure are quickly overcome.  The sector also has high expectations in relation to local content and which OMA is well positioned to assist with.

Local content is so important for the future of the countries in which we operate, OMA Group’s commitment to placing this high on its agenda, can readily be seen through:

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes
• Creating a management system based on ISO 9001:20015 and ISO 14001:2015 which we follow in staff training and in defining compliant working practices.  In Senegal, we hope to be certified by the end of Q1 2019.
• Employment and training for our Senegalese staff including transfer skills and technology.
• Provision of appropriate training, together with a structured career path within the company.

What have been the developments for OMA in the MSGBC Basin over the past year?

Over the past 18 months, OMA Senegal has invested in people and systems to meet the demands of the oil & gas industry.  In addition, we have offered support to our clients for office space and access to our staff, all of which has resulted in the need to significantly expand the office space for our Senegal operations.

We have a highly experienced and competent team, perfectly placed to offer integrated logistics services to the international oil companies and their associated contractors and sub-contractors, involved in the upcoming oil & gas projects.

We are participating in the ongoing Call for Tender for the concession within Dakar Port which is expected to be dedicated to support oil & gas projects. OMA will provide a comprehensive solution that includes both in-port and off-port logistics bases, allowing us to provide the integrated logistics solutions required by the industry.

What are you most looking forward to at the MSGBC Basin Summit & Exhibition? What would you like to take away from the gathering?

Our experience in Ghana has shown us that engaging with both our existing clients and with new entrants to the West African market, gives us the opportunity to offer local advice which, in turn, enables companies to set up the correct legal structure from the start, define their logistics needs (now and in the future), assist with local contractor selection and comply with local content requirements.

We are looking forward immensely to interacting with delegates, presenting our one-stop logistics solution to the industry, as well as listening and taking the time to learn from industry experts to ensure our offering matches their needs.

About the OMA Group

The OMA Group comprises independent local companies in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Togo, as well as regional strategic partners in Cameroon, Gambia, Mauritania and Niger.  OMA has supported and worked with a number of leading international companies involved in the oil & gas industry in West Africa.

OMA Logistics Senegal Sarl has quickly established a strong reputation for its expertise and its ability to meet the demands of the oil & gas industry.   The Company is TRACE certified and is in the process of achieving ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification. Complying with strict local content principles features high on OMA’s agenda

Services offered to customers include ship agency, sourcing offshore support vessels, arranging temporary importation permits, crew & husbandry services, logistics support including air & sea freight, clearing & forwarding, deconsolidation, trucking and warehousing. OMA also offers support in obtaining licensing & permit approvals, as well as local procurement.

OMA Senegal offers a one-stop, integrated logistics solution for the oil & gas industry, including in-port and off-port logistics bases.