TANZANIA Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) gas
processing plant has operated for almost 20,000 hours without an occupation
accident.
The plant located at Madimba, Mtwara, started operation
in mid third quarter of 2015, has installed processing capacity of 210 million
standard cubic feet a day (mmscfd) and manned by almost 100 people.
The Plant Safety Officer Deus Kiheka said since
commencing operation the plant has registered “zero occupation accident” thanks
to laid down safety procedures, among them periodical training and drilling
before and after operation. “We have zero tolerance on safety issue since gas
is highly explosive material,” Mr Kiheka told Daily News when group journalists
from various media houses toured the plant.
The tour was organised by Bank of Tanzania. The plant is
currently processing 80mmscf a day, which is almost one-third of installed
capacity since gas demand is still low. The plant Head of Operations and
Maintenance, Mr Lucas Nkilila, said the gas processed is transported to Dar for
power generation at Kinyerezi where 400MW is produced from Madimba’s plant.
“This plant is under Gasco, [a TPDC subsidiary],
overseeing gas supply. The gas processed is drawn from four wells at Mnazi
Bay,” Mr Nkilila said.
He said the plant is the biggest in the country with
processing capacity of 210mmscfd after an investment of 197 million US dollars.
The other three are two at Songo Songo—manned by Pan- Africa Energy with a
capacity of 180mmscfd and another at Mnazi Bay operated by Maurel and Prom with
a capacity of 100mmscfd.
Recently TPDC formed two directorates and formed two new
commercial subsidiaries Gas Supply Company (GASCO) and PETROTAN, which will
invest in and market Tanzanian gas and oil respectively
Source: Daily News tz