Oil & Energy
Pipeline Vandalism: Operators Task FG On Modern Technology
Fire fighters battling to put out fire from two burning fuel tankers loaded with petrol at ascon filling station on Lekki road 13 in Lekki, Lagos, recently. Photo: NAN
Some oil and gas experts
have urged the Federal Government to deploy modern technology in combating the activities of crude oil thieves in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
They told newsmen in Lagos that such technology should include Closed Circuit Television and other electronic devices that could indicate that a pipeline was being tampered with.
They also said that such devices gave timely images and reports to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other relevant bodies monitoring the pipelines to promptly tackle the problem.
The experts in the industry added that deploying such electronic monitoring devices would assist in reducing the huge national revenue loss through illegal bunkering of crude oil.
Managing Director, Tec Flow Oil and Gas Ltd., Mr Simon Francis, said the issue of oil theft was a serious challenge that needed to be dealt with through a new mechanism.
Francis said that the use of technology would contribute immensely to combating crude oil theft and incessant vandalism in the nation’s pipeline network.
He also urged the government to encourage private sector participation in the oil sector, adding that the organised private sector participation would expand the profit outlay of operators.
“Crude oil theft remains a big challenge to the socio-economic development of the country.
“Government should also deregulate the downstream sector of the oil and gas. This is the only way to address fuel scarcity,’’ he said.
Former National Publicity Officer, Petroleum, National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Seyi Gambo, said that government should focus more on ways to liberalise the downstream petroleum sub-sector.
According to Gambo, the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill remains the only way to address sector’s challenges.
He said that the bill identified specific reforms needed to be championed by the NNPC and operators in the entire sector.
He advised the government to privatise the country’s refineries since government could no longer maintain them adequately.
“Government can embark on modular refineries in some state as such investments could be part of the investments that will create jobs for Nigerians,” he said.
Contributing, Director of Operations, IPMAN, Mr Mike Osatuyi, also lamented the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill by the National Assembly.
Osatuyi said that the bill would have gone a long way to address the problems in the petroleum industry, adding that the industry should be handed over to private investors.
The IPMAN boss urged the government to diversify its sources of power generation, adding that it should exploit other alternative sources of energy.
“Government should tap into other cleaner and renewable sources of energy, like solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.
“The incessant vandalism of gas pipelines and other electricity apparatus remains a big challenge for government to tackle.
“The government should also arrest and prosecute anybody caught in the act of vandalism to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.
The Federal Government and key Petroleum Products marketers have proposed new measures to help curb rising cases of road accidents involving petrol tankers.
This followed recent incidents of road accidents resulting in cremation of hundreds of lives and causing extensive damage to properties.
Speaking at the Discourse organised by Mejor Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) in Lagos, Thursday, with the theme “Improving Safe Transportation of Petroleum Products”, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, noted with dismay the number of casualties the country recorded recently due to tanker accidents.
Lokpobiri stressed the need for an enhanced training for tanker drivers, installation of detection leak devices as well as other safety systems that can assist drivers.
He called on Marketers and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, especially in the training of tanker drivers.
On his part, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpo Ekpo, reaffirmed government’s commitment to providing enabling environment to ensure safety of petroleum products transportation.
Ekpo, who was represented by Engr. Abel, said consideration should be given to more safety means of transporting products like the pipelines and railway line.
He stressed the need for better training for drivers and implementation of safety regulations within the industry.
Earlier, Chairman, MEMAN, Huub Stokman, said the Association has elaborate training manual for members truck drivers.
Stokman insisted that more training programmes and consistent adherence to safety measures would help to curb road accidents involving tanker drivers.
Also speaking, the National President, Nigerian Association of Raod Transport Owners (NARTO), Yusuf Lawal Othman, called for support.
The Chairman, National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim, has said that the production of coal bed methane, an unconventional form of natural gas extracted from coal, is set to begin in Benue State.
Prof. Ibrahim staed this while addressing newsmen at the end of a joint meeting of the National and State gas expansion committees with Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia.
He said the Federal Government is committed to expanding gas availability in Nigeria for domestic use and mobility.
Ibrahim added that extracting gas from unconventional coal sources rather than traditional hydrocarbon reserves is a way to boost gas availability.
“Essentially there are four areas of implementation that the committee has identified. One is to pioneer the production of gas from what you call coal bed methane, which means that Benue is going to pioneer in the country the production of gas not from conventional hydrocarbon, but from non-conventional coal just so that the nation will have an alternative source to gas availability”, he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Benue State Gas Expansion Programme, Dr. Emmanuel Chenge, said the gas expansion initiative would contribute to the economic transformation of Benue State.
“The good news is that Benue is set to join the league of gas-producing states and if we are conversant with what being a member of the gas-producing state is, it shows that Benue State will start getting derivatives from that sector of the economy”, Dr Chenge stated.
The National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) was established to boost the exploration and utilisation of gas in Nigeria and make Nigeria a gas-based industrial nation by increasing the use of gas for transportation, cooking, and industrialization.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said there was no explosion at the newly refurbished Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC).
NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement issued on Friday night.
Soneye said reports claiming that there was an explosion at the Warri refinery were false and should be ignored and disregarded by the public.
According to him, the refinery was undergoing routine maintenance.
His statement read, “NNPC Ltd. wishes to clarify that there was no explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC). Any reports suggesting otherwise are completely false.
“On January 25, 2025, operations at WRPC Area 1 were intentionally curtailed to carry out necessary intervention works on select equipment, including field instruments that were impacting sustainable and steady operations.
“These intervention works are essential to ensure the production of on-specification finished and intermediate products, particularly Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Kerosene (Kero).
“The routine maintenance is progressing as planned, and Area 1 will be back in operation within the next few days.
“Despite ongoing interventions, over the past 11 days, AGO loading has been maintained at an average of eight trucks per day, with a sufficient supply available to sustain ongoing truck load-out operations”.
Soneye added that the NNPCL was committed to ensuring an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products from the refinery.
He said the company “appreciates the patience and cooperation of all stakeholders as it completes these essential maintenance activities”.
-
Rivers3 days ago
IWD Celebration: Royal Queen Tasks Women On Family Priority
-
Business3 days ago
Firm Unveils N25m Contest For Entrepreneurship
-
Editorial3 days agoRivers: Let The Projects Go On
-
News3 days ago
Reps urge CBN to suspend increase in ATM withdrawal charges
-
Features3 days ago
Vocational Education And Nigeria’s Economy
-
Rivers3 days ago
Rivers Partner TAF To Promote Disability Inclusion
-
Business3 days ago
Gaming Regulator Pledges Deepened Data-Gathering For Security
-
Opinion3 days ago
Drunken Captains Of A Sinking Ship