****Says 3m Barrels Per Day Achievable
KINGSLEY BENNETH, ABUJA
ABUJA: The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has revealed that the directives to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in oil producing communities issued by President Bola Tinubu to security agencies has increased the country’s crude oil production from 1.4 million barrels per day, to 1.7 million barrels per day.
The Company has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s crude production would get to 3million per day “With expected synergy from all the relevant stakeholders on war against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, required enabling environment.”
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO) of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, declared this on Saturday in Abuja at a stakeholders engagement session with journalists covering the National Assembly.
Soneye who said the feat is attainable with support from all stakeholders, added “3million barrels oil production per day is achievable in Nigeria if all the stakeholders work in snergy for that purpose from the security agencies both government and private owned , to oil companies and host communities.
With expected synergy from all the relevant stakeholders on war against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, required enabling environment,would be in place for optimal oil production to the volume of 2.5 to 3million barrels per day.”
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The NNPCL Communication Head explained that earlier oil production went down to 900,000 barrels per day due to the activities of criminal on oil installations.
This trend according to him changed with the involvement of private security agencies and renewed efforts of the military.
He explained “At that time, we felt Nigeria was in trouble as far as oil theft was concerned but the intensity of war against it has allayed our fears.”
However, in a power point presentation on the menace of crude oil theft and its impact on Nigeria’s economy by Deputy Manager, NNPC Command and Control Centre , Murtala Muhammad , said the crime of oil theft ,remains a serious concern .
Continuing, Soneye disclosed that over 8,000 illegal refineries and 5, 800 illegal oil pipeline connections were detected and destroyed within the last six months .
He listed Bayelsa , Rivers , Imo, Abia etc ,to be hot spots of the crime .
In his paper presentation on “Balancing Reporting and Nation Building : The Role of National Assembly Press Corps’, the resource person , Professor Taiye Obateru, emphasized on fairness and national interest in all stories .
