YENOGOA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has said: An average of 37000 barrels of crude oil were being stolen daily from the SPDC Joint Venture (SPDC JV) facilities in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area.
This was disclosed by SPDC’s Head, Right of Way (RoW) Management, Afohron Sekobe, who highlighted oil theft, equipment failure, sabotage, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining as the main causes of pollution in the region.
In a presentation at a seminar with the theme, “Effects of Pipeline Vandalism, Crude Oil theft and Encroachment Issues”, organised by the company in Yenagoa for practicing journalists in the region, Sekobe, said: Findings revealed that the criminal breach of oil facilities was the cause of over 75 per cent of spill incidents from SPDC JV pipelines in 2014 alone.
Sekobe, whose presentation on the theme gave a graphic detail of the modus operandi of oil thieves, also noted that over 92 per cent of oil volume spilled form SPDC JV facilities between 2010 and 2014 was caused by oil theft.
He said that illegal interference with pipelines and other illegal activities such as theft of well head equipment occasioned the deferment of additional 110,000 barrels of production per day.
He, however, noted that the company had recorded more sabotage and vandalism than oil theft, stressing that the illegalities were all violations of the Oil Pipelines Act, 1990, especially chapter 338, part 3, section 12 and subsections 1 and 2 of the law.
“In spite of actions taken and additional deployments of government security forces, there remains significant sabotage/illegal bunkering activities on the TNP”, Sekobe lamented.
He deplored the occupation of the right of way of SPDC JV facilities, adding that those who trespass carry out all kinds of activities including building, excavation and mechanic workshops, among others.
He warned that the current number and levels of incursions on the pipelines would no longer be tolerated.
He added that the company would continue to engage the media in carrying out campaign and public enlightenment as well as collaborate with government agencies to evict illegal occupants on the right of way.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Bayelsa state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Tarinyo Akono, urged the SPDC to engage the host communities in a more meaningful way and manner to reduce oil theft and other oil-related vices.
Credit: Daily Independent (Nigeria)
