Nigeria records 1,447 pipelines attacks between January and July — NNPC GMD

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it recorded 1,447 incidences of pipeline vandalism across the country resulting in the loss of millions of litres of products worth billions of naira in 2016 alone.

NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin in his office recently.

According to Baru, “In 2015, Nigeria lost 643 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at N51.3 billion through pipeline vandalism alone. He said the volume of products lost through vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure alone underscored the need for stakeholders especially security agencies to devise more effective strategies to address the menace. Acknowledging that security agencies were doing much to address the menace, the GMD said the persistence of oil thieves and saboteurs was affecting even the 2016 budget implementation.

“The gas to power projections of government is also being hampered due to the activities of the vandals. “In 2015 alone, pipeline losses of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in volume of 643 million litres valued at about N51.3 bn was recorded, while 1,447 incidences of vandalism was reported so far in 2016”.

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Baru said the impact of the development on the economy could be seen in the areas of degradation, unnecessary loss of lives, and high cost of production among others. He said a review of the security architecture of the protection of critical infrastructure in the Niger delta was required to prevent the economy from further hemorrhage. The GMD sought improved collaboration with security agencies and the military in particular to prevent further damage to oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta region.

He also solicited the support of the military for NNPC to resume exploration activities in the Benue trough and the Chad Basin. Baru further sought better security arrangement for NNPC’s strategic business partners in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country. He pledged NNPC’s support and cooperation for security agencies working to curb activities of vandals and saboteurs in the oil and gas industry.

Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin in his remarks, pledged to work closely with NNPC and its partners to better protect oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta. He said the reinvigorated military operation in the Niger Delta was tailored towards better performance and efficiency on the part of the military.

Olonisakin assured his guest that the business environment in the Niger Delta would soon be made conducive for operators in the oil and gas sector. He added that exploration activities in the northern part of the country would resume as soon as the region was completely rid of terrorists and their cohorts.