OGP helo operators find profit and peril in Nigeria | Aviation International News

OGP helo operators find profit and peril in Nigeria

Two years ago a speedboat opened fire on a Bell 412 as it departed an oil platform.

By Mark Huber • Contributor

November 30, 2010

Two years ago a speedboat opened fire on a Bell 412 as it departed an oil platform. A mechanic found a bullet hole in a main rotor blade after the helicopter returned to base. The passengers and crew had no idea they had been hit.
It was just another day in Nigeria.

Today, despite its vast oil riches, the West African nation continues to suffer from widespread poverty, lawlessness, official corruption and political violence. Even in the face of some government reform and better security, violence has intensified in the run-up to next year’s national elections and poses unique challenges for helicopter companies working the lucrative market for serving offshore oil and gas producers (OGP). Notwithstanding these problems, Nigeria remains an extremely attractive venue. “It has the highest profit margins, but it also has the highest risk,” said Mark Duncan, vice president of international OGP helicopter company Bristow Group, operator of the punctured Bell 412.

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