By Ella Anokam

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says it has begun investigation into Thursday’s explosion near a pipeline in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gbenga Komolafe stated on Friday in Abuja that it began the investigation in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and would provide updates appropriately.

According to Komolafe, the investigation is in line with NUPRC’s statutory regulatory oversight of upstream operations in the oil and gas industry.

“NUPRC wishes to announce that an explosion leading to a major fire incident near a pipeline in Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers on Thursday night has been reported.

“There are speculations about the level of casualties, but the Commission cannot confirm any until after our investigation,’’ Komolafe stated.

He assured that NUPRC would take all necessary measures to ensure that safety and environmental measures were put in place in line with global best practices to safeguard lives and the environment. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Alli Hakeem

By Ella Anokam

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP) project is a giant step towards achieving its gas and power mandate to add 50MW into the national grid generation.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPCL, made this known on Thursday during the commissioning of the 50-Megawatt Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant project by President Muhammadu Buhari in Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that due to the unfortunate attacks of insurgents which destroyed three towers of electricity power lines in Maiduguri, President Buhari in April 2021, directed the NNPC Ltd., to restore power supply to Maiduguri and its environs.

Kyari said on the directive of the president, a 32 MW gas fired power plant was designed and built in 16 months, which was unprecedented and had been successfully test-run and confirmed ready by the president.

He said the commissioning of the emergency thermal power plant by the president would open a new chapter
of the NNPCL commercial energy for on grid and off grid capital markets.

According to him, the Maiduguri emergency power project will be scaled up to 50MW shortly, the first thermal plant of this scale in the whole of the Northeast.

The GCEO said the interventions of the Ministry of Power had restored the traditional 330KV line in Maiduguri and provided another redundancy of 33KV line from Damaturu to Maiduguri.

“The combined effect of the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant and the replacement of the transmission lines makes Maiduguri the most sufficiently capital city in Nigeria.

“Obviously, it is a new power hub in the region, we may very soon see power exports to neighbouring countries from Maiduguri.

“As a commercial enterprise, NNPC sees this project as an opportunity to monitise our abundance natural resource by expanding access to energy to support economic growth, industrialisation and job creation across the country,” he said.

He said Maiduguri has been the commercial nerve centre of the Northeast for more than a century.

He added that it represented a huge market due to its demographic advantage and geographical accessibility to sub regional markets including Republic of Niger, Chad, Central Afrique Republic, Sudan and Mali among others.

He said that in spite of these huge opportunities, energy poverty had continued to restrain business communities in Maiduguri and its environs from expanding their market frontiers to achieve the full potentials.

The GCEO said the project provided better investment climate and opportunity to advance the Federal Government’s domestic gas utilisation mandate while supporting the power industry, government of Borno and stakeholders to achieve sustainable energy supply.

This, he said, in order to ensure sustainable operations the power plant was equipped with a natural gas system for energy supply.

“Mr President, currently NNPCL and its partners are delivering 800MW to the national grid from Afam two, Afam six in Okpai phase one thermal plants with combined installed capacity of over 1,100 MW.

“We have also completed Okpai phase two project that will add up to 320MW of power to our national grid. We are also progressing with other power projects across the country, including those along the AKK pipeline root.

“NNPCL appreciates the collaboration of the ministry, relevant power stakeholders and the Borno state government in achieving this milestone,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Ella Anokam

President Muhammadu Buhari has called for continued collaboration between the Ministry of Power and relevant agencies with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) to ensure access to affordable electricity.

The President gave this directive on Thursday when he inaugurated the 50-Megawatt Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP) project site in Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 50-Megawatt gas-fired thermal plant was built by the Federal Government through the NNPCL in collaboration with Borno State Government.

The Maiduguri Emergency Power Project is part of an incremental 4,000MW of power generating assets that this administration embarked upon to improve national power supply and stimulate economic growth.

He said the aggressive project strategy deployed to complete the project on schedule was a reflection of the Federal Government sensitivities in easing the plight of Nigerians, especially those recovering from the adverse impact of the insurgency in the North-East region.

Buhari said over the past few years, insurgents had attacked power supply lines along Maiduguri-Damaturu and Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu roads leading to acute power supply shortages to the city of Maiduguri and its environs.

This, he said, had crippled economic activities in the region.

NAN recalls that two major incidences of such unfortunate attacks were the destruction of three towers of electricity power lines along Damaturu–Maiduguri Road by the insurgents on Jan. 25 and March 27, 2021.

President Buhari in April 2021, directed the management of the NNPC Ltd., to restore power supply to Maiduguri and its environs.

Buhari, while inaugurating the project commended the NNPCL on its purposeful response, following his directive to ensure the immediate restoration of reliable power supply to Maiduguri within the shortest possible time.

“I want to reassure Nigerians of the Federal Government’s resolve to continue to implement programmes, particularly in the power sector, that will deepen domestic gas utilisation, expand national power generation capacity, revitalise industries and create multiple jobs for economic growth.

“Therefore, today, I have the honour to inaugurate another power plant that is aimed at improving electricity supply to Nigerian homes- an integral part of the huge successes being recorded by the Presidential Power Initiative.

“I would like to direct the Ministry of Power and other relevant agencies namely, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Transmission Company of Nigeria, etc to continue to collaborate with the NNPC Ltd to ensure access to affordable electricity.

“I commend NNPC Ltd, the government and people of Borno State for this feat. I do hope that the undaunting spirit of the New NNPC Ltd will continue to engender affordable energy for Nigerians, not just for the immediate, but for the years ahead,” he said.

The event had in attendance, Vice President-elect, Sen. Shettima Kashim, Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, and his Petroleum Resources counterpart, Chief Timipre Sylva, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, Sen. Margery Okadigbo, and NNPCL Board Chairman,

Other dignitaries include the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, accompanied by other Emirs.

The president who had earlier inaugurated other projects in the state also paid courtesy call to the Shehu of Borno. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Ella Anokam

Security measures have been beefed up at the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP) project site in Borno ahead of its inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president will on Thursday commission the 50-Megawatt gas-fired power plant built by the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in collaboration with Borno state government.

Maiduguri, a major city in the North-East Nigeria, was thrown into darkness due to vandalism and attacks by insurgents on the town’s critical power supply infrastructure, which degenerated into perpetual power outages.

Two major incidences of such unfortunate attacks were the destruction of three towers of electricity power lines along Damaturu – Maiduguri Road by the insurgents on Jan. 25 and March 27, 2021.

President Buhari in April 2021, directed the management of the NNPC Ltd., to restore power supply to Maiduguri and its environs.

Following engagements with the Borno government, the NNPCL embarked on a 50-Megawatt gas-fired power plant project aimed at providing reliable and sustainable electricity to the city and its environs.

NAN reports that many officials of Nigerian security agencies, including the Department of State Security Service (DSS), soldiers and police personnel have been deployed at the site.

Some para military agencies including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Federal Fire Service are also on ground.

The officials of the NNPCL, members of the cabinet, some royal fathers and some medical teams with their equipment are also seen at the site.

The president is expected to be accompanied by the Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, and his Petroleum Resources counterpart, Chief Timipre Sylva, Gov. Babagana Zulum and Group CEO, NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari.

Other top government functionaries from federal and state governments are also attending the event. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

By Ella Anokam

Horatius Egua, Media Aide to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timpre Sylva, has tendered an apology to Nigerians and industry operators, over an erroneous media publication.

Egua had on Monday, released a statement credited to Sylva, titled; “Theft, Pipeline Vandalism Responsible For Volumes Of Crude Losses’.

He explained that the statement was a draft, which should not have been released to the media for publication, as it did not get clearance from the Minister.

Egua in the apology letter on Tuesday, said that the statement was not in anyway meant to denigrate the reputation of the head of any agency or government official, or to dispute the figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

“It was released in error.

“I apologise for any discomfort or inconveniences the statement may have caused by its release,” Egua stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the NUPRC had on Feb. 19, issued a statement that; “Approximately 40 per cent of the volumes credited to crude losses in the Nigerian petroleum industry are actually attributable to measurement inaccuracies, and not theft as often reported. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Nyisom Fiyigon Dore

Retired Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiom

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer

The Federal Government’ Special Investigative Panel on Oil Theft/Losses has called for deliberate conversations to drive legal reforms that would provide stiffer penalties to culpable entities involved in oil theft.

The Chairman of the Panel, retired Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu, made the call in his address of welcome at a Day Stakeholders Conference on Oil Theft/Losses on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the conference is: “Protecting Petroleum Industry Assets for Improved Economy”.

According to him, frank discussions must be held to enable the country “crack the code” and put an end to the criminal enterprise of oil theft.

Ndiomu, who is also the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), regretted that the menace of oil theft has had enormous negative impact on Nigeria’s crude oil production, plunging output to a 13-year low of 800,000bpd.

He reiterated that strategic consultations have been held with state governments of the Niger Delta Region and other critical stakeholders to that effect.

“On the side of the law enforcement and security agencies, visits were made to the Chief of Army and Navel Staff, to the DG-DSS, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the EFCC, among others.

“These engagements availed us information on the challenges their respective organisations faced in securing our nation’s oil assets and combating oil theft.

“These efforts provided us new knowledge and elicited honest discussion amongst Panel Members that led to some obvious conclusion signifying that theft and lose of crude oil stemmed from the twin issues of complicity and negligence,’’ Ndiomu said.

The chairman of the panel further explained that the emergent picture suggests the existence of a sophisticated network of complicity between elements from the host communities, security agencies and industry players.

He added that they include both government and private institutions alike, as well as international collaborators.

“The conception of this conference is part of the panel’s strategy to obtain additional inputs, information and data on the subject matter. Today’s event therefore aims at consolidating on what has been achieved so far,” Ndiomu said.

The chairman, however, advocated
for application of modern technologies to protect oil assets and a review of security architecture in the region.

“This should be done with a view to stem the sophisticated network of complicity between elements from the host communities, security agencies and industry players”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event attracts officials from the Presidency, National Assembly, traditional rulers from oil communities, security, military and paramilitary, as well as other stakeholders from the oil and gas sector. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Ella Anokam

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has attributed loss of revenue from crude production to theft, pipeline vandalism and decayed infrastructure.

The minister, in a statement on Monday by his Senior Adviser, Media and Communications, Horatius Egua said in spite the challenges, the Federal Government was determined to end the trend.

Sylva said the Federal Government was determined to end the trend through improved investments and security along the major oil and gas pipelines in Niger Delta region.

According to him, contrary to reports that about 40 per cent of the volumes of crude losses are due to measurement inaccuracies, adding that major sources of crude oil losses were theft, pipeline vandalism and production deferment as a result of pipeline non-availability.

“It is a known fact that the major losses of crude oil in the country have been through theft and destruction of oil pipelines.

“Again, we also know that some of the oil infrastructure are old and decayed and cannot perform at maximum capacity.

“And there is also the issue of lack of investments in fossil fuel in the country and the drive towards renewable energy has really hampered new investments in this sector,” he said.

The minister said the government had put measures in place to restore sanity in the sector.

He added that contrary to the report, the problem associated with crude oil losses are systemic issues that the government was already handling with a view to finding permanently solutions to.

Sylva, therefore, urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to harmoniously work together.

This, he said, would ensure that the constraints and impeding challenges in the optimal crude oil production volume were speedily addressed to boost national revenue.

According to him, the Federal Government cannot continue to lose revenue through perceived lapses in crude oil production, especially at this very critical period of scarce revenue for the nation.

The minister said that this was not the time to dwell on the mistakes of the past or engaged in needless blame games but a time to work to close all existing leakages to enable government get maximum benefits from its crude oil and gas assets.

While expressing satisfaction at the improved security along the major oil pipelines in the region, Sylva called for sustained efforts by all concerned to maintain maximum crude oil production.

“We are very confident that Nigeria will achieve two million barrel per day crude oil production target very soon.

“The government is doing everything possible to get to where we should be and everyone is working hard to achieve this,” the minister said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

By Ella Anokam

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., (NNPC Ltd.) says it has 1.805 billion litres of petrol in stock.

Its spokesman, Malam Garbadeen Muhammad, stated in Abuja on Monday that the volume of petrol in stock would last for 30 days.

He explained that 805.35 million litres of the product were in depots nationwide, while one billion litres were still inside vessels.

He added that in is efforts to ensure steady supply NNPC Ltd. placed a robust plan for the supply of petrol from mid-February to March 2023.

“An additional petrol supply of 884 million litres is also expected by Feb. 28.

“For March 2023, a total of 2.3 billion litres of petrol is expected, while about 2.5 billion litres, equivalent to 42 days sufficiency, will be the closing stock for the month,” Muhammad stated. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Alli Hakeem