By Udeme Akpan There are indications that the capacity utilisation of oil and gas dockyards in Nigeria has dropped to 15 per cent as a result of relatively low oil prices in the global oil market. This appears to be very significant, when the over 60 per cent capacity utilisation of the dockyards in 2014 is considered. The oil and gas dockyards, including Niger Dock, Dormanlong, Kaztec Engineering, were established at various times to provide fabrication and other services to oil and gas companies, thus conserving foreign exchange, building indigenous capacity as well as promoting technological advancement in the nation. In an interview with Vanguard, Monday, Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Mr. Nicholas Odinuwe, who confirmed the drop in capacity utilisation, said: “The capacity utilisation of the dockyards has dropped to about 15 per cent in the past few years, due mainly to low oil prices, drop in foreign exchange generation, review of contracts and low patronage of the dockyards.”