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Surprisingly, not much is heard about the Helicopter Companies in the aviation industry in Nigeria. Unknown to watchers, the helicopter sector is another thriving business in aviation: chartering of helicopters.
Encomium weekly of 2014, reliably gathered that there are top five chartered helicopter operators in Nigeria; Caverton Helicopters, OAS Helicopters, Aero Contractors, Bristow Helicopters and Pan African Airlines. And they net an average of N3.7 billion annually. According to an industry source, chartering a helicopter costs about $8,000 per hour. Industry analysts are of the opinion that each chartered helicopter operator makes an average of four flights per week, with each lasting three hours on the average. Using an average of $8,000 per hour, the five chartered helicopter operators make at least N77million weekly, N77million monthly and N3.7billion annually. One of the top 5 Helicopters in Nigeria is Caverton Helicopters.
About Caverton Helicopters
Caverton Helicopters Limited was established in September 2002 as a charter, shuttle and maintenance company. It was initially set up to bridge the gap in the onshore helicopter service sector. Since then, Caverton Helicopters has made strides into the offshore support (oil and gas) industry by providing logistics support to the major players. Caverton Helicopter operates out of a 10,000 square meter flight facility at the Murtala Muhammad Internatinal Airport in Lagos. The company also owns and operates out of several purpose-built facilities in Victoria island (The Ozumba Heliport), Port Harcourt (NAF Base), Warri and Cameroon.
The company’s focus and primary business is to render logistics and environment support services to the Nigerian Oil and Gas producers, with broader to support energy operations along the West African shelf. Part of our strength in serving the oil and gas industry is based on making suited choices in the type of aircraft that we offer. With operating bases in strategic locations, Caverton Helicopters is able to provide a wide array of services to the offshore oil and gas industry as well as other business sectors, such as:
- Maritime and coastal surveillance
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Search and rescue
With facility at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos. The company also owns and operates out of several purpose-built facilities in Victoria island (the Ozumba Heliport), Port Harcourt (NAF Base), Warri and Cameroon. And has six helicopters in its kitty.
Subsidiaries
Caverton Marine
Incorporated in July, 1999, Caverton Marine was established as a service company specializing in Tankers, Vessels, Boats, Barges and Allied Equipment. The company is approved by the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources to operate within the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry as a service company specializing in providing Marine/Special Transportation Services and engagement in the shipment of petroleum products.
The passage of The Cabotage Bill by the Nigerian Government in May 2004 has allowed indigenous companies like Caverton Marine to become key players in the industry as it restricts the operations of marine vessels and the transportation of Petroleum products in the region to Nigerian owned Vessels.
Caverton Marine continues to expand and improve the services it provides both within and beyond its core businesses. The company’s key objective is to obtain and maintain a chartering profile with emphasis on the long-term contract markets with operation in Nigeria. Our strategy is to profitably increase revenues and enhance shareholder value by:
- Developing and maintaining a large, diversified, technologically sophisticated fleet.
- Focusing on attractive international markets.
- Managing our risk profile through balance of short- and long-term charters.
Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc was incorporated in Nigeria on 2nd June, 2008, as a private limited liability company. The Group operates in the marine and aviation logistics sectors of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Caverton Group was formed to acquire Caverton Helicopters Limited and Caverton Marine Limited, both of which were already operating in the Nigerian offshore oil and gas logistics industry. Since inception, the Caverton Group has positioned itself as one of the leading indigenous oilfield services companies in Nigeria and following the passage of the Nigerian Government‟s “Local Content Policy,‟ which is aimed at substantially increasing indigenous participation in the local and gas industry, is very well positioned to leverage the opportunities this represents.
The Group achieves its strategic objectives by drawing from both global offshore experience acquired from its strategic partners and the service delivery competence of its member companies. The Group’s commitment to the local content drive of the Nigerian Government is reflected in its well-articulated and continuous manpower development plan. In addition, the Group plans to substantially utilize local resources and facilities on its service delivery platforms.
The Caverton Offshore Support Group has a clearly and defined business focus of being a leading marine and aviation logistics provider in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa.
Our corporate philosophy is driven by the necessity to create a company that will attain pioneer status in the ownership and operation of premium offshore oilfield assets. This goal is aptly captured in the Group’s vision, mission and corporate philosophy statements.
Corporate Philosophy
Its goal is to raise sustainable standards in providing services it offers, while meeting the demands of stakeholders within the society and contributing meaningfully to the environment in which it operates.
The Group Structure
The Caverton Offshore Support Group has a global workforce of over 650 employees. With its rapidly expanding fleet of aircraft and vessels coupled with its acquisition of key offshore assets and strategic partners, the Group is able to provide a diverse range of services to its clients ensuring their objectives are completely fulfilled, offshore to land.
Since inception, Caverton Marine Limited has rendered services to the following organisations:
Caverton Marine provides vessel charter services to the six Nigeria LNG LPG off-takers. The company is approved by Nigerian Department of Petroleum resources (DPR) and Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration (NIMASA) to operate vessels in the coastal waters of Nigeria under the Cabotage act as well as import and export charter. This permit allows Caverton Marine to engage in the shipment of petroleum products.
Fleet
Caverton has had an impressive track record in ownership and management of vessel, which meets current major oil company standards.
Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels.
Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels (or AHTS) carry out operations for positioning, maintaining and moving oil and gas platforms. They are equipped with powerful engines and winches and can tow drilling rigs, position and lift anchors, and deploy a range of equipment necessary for oil production.
Platform Supply Vessels.
PSV take equipment and special products to offshore platforms. In addition to a large deck area for the transport of all types of equipment, including extra-large and non-standard dimension packages, they offer sizable storage capacity.
CAE signs agreement with Caverton Helicopters for training centre operation services
In June 2014, CAE signed an agreement with African-based Caverton Helicopters to provide training centre operation services over six years. The pioneer training center will be located in Lagos, Nigeria and is scheduled to be ready for operation in mid-2015.
CAE announced that it has signed an agreement with African-based Caverton Helicopters to provide training centre operation services over six years. The pioneer training centre will be located in Lagos, Nigeria and is scheduled to be ready for operation in mid-2015.
CAE will be providing turnkey solutions that include the start-up, maintenance and operation of the training centre. With its six simulator bays, it will be one of the first complete commercial aviation training centres in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The centre will be equipped with a CAE 3000 Series AW 139 full-flight simulator (FFS), a CAE 7000XR Series Boeing 737 NG FFS and two CAE Simfinity Integrated Procedures Trainers (IPTs). These simulators were announced by CAE as sales to undisclosed customers in October 2013.
“Our pilots have been training with CAE and in helicopter training centres in the UAE, Qatar, the USA, Brazil, Italy and Norway over the past few years due to the unavailability of the required facilities in the region and we are very excited to be building the first ever commercial aviation training centre in Lagos, Nigeria, with CAE as our partner,” said Adeniyi Makanjuola, Chairman of Caverton Helicopters. “CAE’s market leadership and “one-stop-shop” philosophy to training solutions and capacity development make them a strategic partner in our continuous efforts to enhance our local content commitment to the region.”
“CAE is honoured to have been chosen by Caverton Helicopters for both our leadership and our ability to provide a comprehensive portfolio of training solutions tailored to meet its specific needs,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services. “We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Caverton to support the growing pilot training needs in the region.”
Despite the economic downturn and Crisis in the Oil industry, which has reduced clientele, Caverton Helicopters is waxing stronger.
