It is my pleasure to introduce the fifth edition of Innova – RusselSmith’s monthly publication on all things interesting, innovative and informative.
In our last edition, we promised to expand the magazine’s content portfolio by featuring a partner, subscriber or customer in subsequent editions to contribute expert opinions on topical issues in the oil and gas industry, amongst other areas.
Lamps Powered by Plants: Approximately 42% of rural areas in the Peruvian jungle suffer from a lack of electricity, according to Peru's latest National Household Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Information. This problem brought about a…
A Guest Feature Article, by Akeem Babatunde (Govt. Relations Analyst)
In the Nigerian oil and gas industry, it used to be standard practice that international corporations reaped the benefits of doing business in Nigeria without any specific plan or visible attempt to empower local citizens to obtain the skills to succeed them after leaving. This had a direct impact on indigenous individuals and businesses in the oil and gas service market, who were not given a fair consideration in the award of oil and gas related contracts due to the perceived superior technical expertise and experience of foreign workers or companies.
As a result of the activities of organizations such as the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), as well as other indigenous establishments, the then president of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan gave his nod of approval to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010, which is also known as the “Nigerian Content Act”.
Whenever things go a bit sour in a job I’m doing, I always tell myself, ‘You can do better than this.’
Dr. Seuss
Finding the perfect working conditions that you desire within any given organization is like assuming that you will have everything you ever wanted in a friend or a spouse. Organizations have their own structural, financial, developmental, cultural, regulatory and administrative differences, and so when you get a job, be rest assured that it will take a certain amount of effort to fully integrate and excel at your job.
Unlike generations X and Y, millennials are quite quick to start considering a change in jobs at the slightest discomfort that is experienced at the workplace. We had generations before the millennials (people born between the year 1912- 1970) who kept their jobs for over 3 decades and were fulfilled in their work.
When it comes to safety in the workplace, the most basic precautions are often the ones that are overlooked. Organizations have the utmost responsibility of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment at all times. This fact does not negate the individual responsibility a worker has to take the necessary precautions to ensure their own health and safety and that of any colleagues who may be affected by their work activities.
According to Columbia University Earth Institute, 2 out of 10 people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, and many countries around the world face water shortages and droughts.
As Robert Glennon reports in his book, ‘Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It’, Americans use 24 gallons of water each day to flush their toilets—approximately 5.8 billion gallons.
The above statistics expose two key facts; while there is a high level of wastage in some parts of the world, other parts of the world still suffer from a lack of access to safe drinking water.
Over the years there have been significant studies in various parts of the world on the cost of corrosion and how it affects a country’s economy. NACE International, the worldwide corrosion authority, released its 2016 IMPACT study which examines the current role of corrosion management in industry and government, and establishes best practices. The Study estimates the global cost of corrosion to be as high as US$2.5 trillion. The IMPACT study emphasizes the need for strategic decision making across all industries where corrosion is concerned.
Simply defined, corrosion is the breaking down or destruction of a material, especially a metal, through chemical reactions. The most common form of corrosion is rusting, which occurs when iron combines with oxygen and moisture.