A Nigerian oil company is reportedly building 10 security vessels for the Nigerian Navy, in a privately funded initiative aimed at protecting the country’s vital oil and gas infrastructure. Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Co. (SEEPCO) is reportedly constructing the vessels at its Okpai HM Shipyard in Delta State, working alongside the navy.
The first, the 40-metre Kali 3, was formally commissioned on 18 August at Asemoku Jetty by the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas. A second vessel, the Kali 4, was nearing completion, according to a defence news website. About 200 Nigerians, including engineers, welders, naval architects, technicians and retired military personnel, contributed to the construction of the first vessel.
Under an agreement with the navy, SEEPCO will supply all 10 ships, while the service will provide their crews. The company has not disclosed the project’s cost. Designed for the shallow creeks and coastal waters of the Niger Delta, the Kali 3 can remain at sea for 10 to 12 days and carries two rigid-hull inflatable boats for boarding operations.
Its duties will include surveillance, anti-piracy patrols, maritime law enforcement and escorting oil tankers, liquefied natural gas carriers and offshore supply vessels. SEEPCO operates Oil Mining Lease 143 under a production-sharing contract with NNPC. In 2021, the company agreed to develop an estimated 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas from the block, with plans to process it at a plant in Kwale, Delta State, and supply a proposed 650-megawatt power station.
The 10-vessel programme adds a new dimension to SEEPCO’s Nigerian operations, combining energy production with maritime security at a time when protecting the Niger Delta’s critical infrastructure remains central to the country’s economic interests.