Nigeria has recorded further reduction in its crude oil production as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) yesterday shut in some chunks of its oil production owing to last Wednesday’s attack on its Trans Ramos pipeline in Aghoro- 2 in Bayelsa State.
The escalation of violence in the Niger Delta region in the last three weeks, industry sources said, may have reduced Nigeria’s crude oil production to about 1.3 million barrels per day (mbpd).
Prior to the renewed attacks on oil facilities in the region, the country was said to have recorded a shut in of over 1mbpd, bringing the country’s output to only about 1.6mbpd.
Statistics released by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) about a fortnight ago showed that production deferment due to the crisis in the oil-rich region was over 1mbpd.
The statistics indicated that both the reserves and the daily output are on the decline due to the restiveness in the Niger Delta, raising fears that it may deter the country from achieving its set targets of 4mbpd and reserves of 40 billion barrels by 2010.
The damaged Aghoro-2 pipeline is said to be connected to the Tunu, Opukusu and Ugbotubu flow stations, which feed into the Forcados export terminal.
The SPDC yesterday explained that the company had to shut in some oil production to avoid damage to the environment.
“The SPDC can confirm the Trans Ramos pipeline at Aghoro-2 community in Bayelsa State was attacked last night (Wednesday night). Some oil production has been shut in to avoid potential environmental impact,” its spokesman, Precious Okolobo, said.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which claimed responsibility for the incident, had in the last three weeks launched several attacks on the facilities of United States oil major, Chevron, a development which resulted in the shut in of unspecified quantities of the company’s oil production.
Speaking on the crisis, which has worsened by the day notwithstanding the offer of amnesty by the Federal Government, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, observed that the slowdown in investment in oil and gas production, insecurity in the oil-producing Niger Delta and OPEC quotas are some of the key challenges facing the industry.
The SPDC had on Tuesday declared a force majeure on Forcados crude oil exports for the remaining part of June and July, following the damage to its Trans Forcados Trunkline.
An initial force majeure declared by the company on March 7, would have ended in April while the oil major had planned to load up to eight cargoes of 950,000 barrels each in May, equivalent to around 245,000 barrels per day.
But the company had to extend the force majeure due to security concerns in the region.
However, following its inability to complete the repair of the damaged facility, the company on Tuesday, deferred both June and July loadings due to damage to the Trans-Forcados Trunkline at Chanomi Creek in Delta State.
Forcados crude is one of Nigeria’s benchmark crude oil grades that are highly prized by foreign refiners due to its relatively low sulfur content.
MEND said in a statement it released late Wednesday night that it had blown up the Trans Ramos pipeline facility in its avowed “Hurricane Alpha Piper” with which it said it would ground Nigeria’s oil production and export to zero level.
Okolobo confirmed the attack had been reported to all relevant government agencies.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said they had not received a report of any such attack and warned MEND which he called propagandist to desist from making bogus claims as its time was up.
MEND, in an email from its spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, said it dedicated the attack to the two brothers it alleged were slain extra judicially by soldiers and captured on tape which the JTF has denied.
“At about 2030 Hrs today, Wednesday, June 17, 2009, fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in furtherance of Hurricane Piper Alpha (our campaign to cripple the entire oil and gas export of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), destroyed with high explosives a major crude oil trunk line in Bayelsa State belonging to Shell.
“This delivery line which supplies the Forcados export terminal takes feed from the Tunu, Opukusu and Ugbotubu flow stations. The point of attack is the Agge/Odimodi axis.
“Piper Alpha veered off course to show its displeasure at the manner the government has reacted to the extra judicial killings of two brothers by the JTF that was caught on tape. This attack is dedicated to the brothers.
“Shell should take a cue from Chevron and vacate the Niger Delta region to avoid collateral damage to their investment and death to staff. We do not intend to waste time taking hostages. Hurricanes are no respecters on anyone,” Jomo said.
In his response, Abubakar said: “We have not received any report from the company until such is received, we will not be able to comment on such claim. But all we can say is that all their claims are crying foul for cheap popularity and this is criminal. JTF is not competing with anybody or group.
“We are only here to carry out our assignment for the protection of all including MEND themselves. The general public is once again reminded that the activities of this group is unpatriotic, unholy and deserves to be condemned by all. However, the JTF would continue to monitor their activities and situation closely, as they adage goes ‘that all days for the thief and one day for the owner.’”

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=146514

Shebi Chevron has suspended all operations completely?

By the time their stomachs start to grumble, the parasites would give thanks for the last 50 years when the suffering of the Niger-Delta people had sustained them in the jungle called Nigeria.

Something tells me the surest way to get govt to better the lots
of the niger delta agitations is thru the direct attacks on oil installations
and not kidnapping.
Perhaps when production has been reduced to the barest minimum
and federal govt oil revenues drop drastically,solutions could be considered.

Buzz me when it hits 0.0 Bpd.

@ Poster will you please change the topic of your thread immediately. . . u almost gave me hypertension. News talk say production drops TO 1.3, you say drops BY 1.3m Bpd.

blackspade:

Buzz me when it hits 0.0 Bpd.

There will be nobody to buzz you, All Nigerians will be living in abject poverty, there will be no means of communication or buzzing u. 0.0Bpd of oil production means 0.0USD National GDP.

goodnews

Nigerias oil production was 2.4m bpd before MEND was formed. Its effective capacity is 2.7m bpd. Today Nigeria exports 1.3m bpd.

Niger-Delta is the gift that refuses to keep on giving.

server34:

There will be nobody to buzz you, All Nigerians will be living in abject poverty, there will be no means of communication or buzzing u. 0.0Bpd of oil production means 0.0USD National GDP.

At least when there is no money to buy diesel, they will know where to collect loan to fix our damn electricity!!!

@blackspade (buzz me when it hits 0.00mbpd)

Please buzz me too when someone don buzz you. Abeg no forget ooo.

I think say we don get solution to naija problem. When there is no more oil, everyone will go back to their clan. UMYA  and all those gworro-chewing people will go back to chewing gworro.

Abeg make the thing reach 0.0bpd make we know we wan do this country.

Some information.

This country is gradually being brought to her knees!!

I feel same.
But will kill biz sha

Ibime:

Shebi Chevron has suspended all operations completely?

By the time their stomachs start to grumble, the parasites would give thanks for the last 50 years when the suffering of the Niger-Delta people had sustained them in the jungle called Nigeria.

Who dey suffer am pass, na chevron abi na de niger deltans? Niger deltan youths too lazy,  cos say oil dey near your village means say make you no go school again or make you no work again. make they no run collect amnesty, na so JTF go continue they mend their lives. as of we, we dey here. nothing do us.

Militants will not embark on civil war until it reaches 0.00 mbpd. by dat time, govt will not be able to fund any war.
[size=15pt]See d big picture![/size]
Nigeria is in motion->backwards!

OIL is the Nigeria's main problem i hope it could dry up. without oil, there will be no money to steal by greedy politicians and may be, just may be we can then have some decent ppl in govermment

Please wake me up when we reach MINUS 1.2M bpd!

When will MEND package some powerful 'akara' to Aso Rock, National Assembly, Yaradua, Obasanjo, Jonathan, Ibori, Ogbulafor, IBB, Odili, Imoke, Bankole and the hordes of thieving bastards making every effort to ruin that nation and perpetuate poverty in such a rich country?

well i guess its time to diversify the economy and stop ignoring the ND issue.

I seriously hope guys aren't supporting MEND. they are just the lesser of two evils.

d stupidity on dis tread is of d lik dat i hv nvr encounterd anywer b4,
u realy tink any1 can stand againt d fed govt?
u realy tink so?
nd wen d govt is seeminly brought to its knees nd som mad Major in d army takes ova again, wer does dat leav us?
is democracy a licence to madness?
wer wz mend unda Abacha?
its alryt ppl, im far and safe enuf away frm it all, bt mark my words, a lot of u posters wil die in d event a civil war breaks out, or members of ur family wil.
hv u evr seen wat a landmine can do?
in real life?
k, i hv, and it aint pretty. . .
b careful wat u wish 4, somtimes u jst myt get it!!!
      

^^^^^ You are far away. . .good for you. . .what about your family?? Well, they may also be far away. . .but that is besides the point. If 0 (ZERO) oil revenues will mark the tipping point for Nigeria's failed leadership and bleak future. . .so be it! What is the point in remaining on a JOURNEY to NOWHERE. . .only directed wherever the WIND (empty-barrel leaders in this case) blows?

Since you are able to judge on whether this is a stupid thread, you should look at the meaning of stupid. . .there you will find yourself! Never judge people you know NOTHING about! Well, since you are so apt to defend the government position and looking at the way you write, you may as well be one of the hired and paid bloggers of Bankole, Aso Rock and the band wagon of jesters who. . .like the ostrich. . .buries its head in the sand, what happens to the rest of the body?

Northenners are the problem they are all brain dead.

Jtf has not done anything to solve the situation they have ignited the struggle even more.

Under there very nose pipe lines are still bombed so what have they done to stem the situation nada very soon that barrack in effurun will catch fire.
Then all those aboki will see fire

The oil has brought more pains, suffering and sorrow than can be imagined.

It's a black man's curse. May God deliver us!

Can someone please explain the militant weapon of blowing up pipelines?

Isnt the pipeline located on Niger Delta land ?
Isnt the resultant environmental damage on Niger Delta land ?
Isnt it next to a source of water, fellow man's home, farmland or fishfarm ?
So who is hurting who?

If one really loves his/her land, should this approach be in use?

Not to talk of kidnapping of road construction personnel,

Ultimately I see the companies enduring till the sitauation is no longer conducive, either a new haven of oil and gas (Angola, Gabon etc) will emerge or the use of alternative technology will expand.

Then we all as Nation would suffer the effect of our foolishness.

whether our oil revenue rise or fall does it affect the common man? Has the money generated from oil before MEND's attack bettered our educational system,improved our roads or increased our electric power generation? Nigeria is a big joke!!! Im afraid a revolution migth be the only way out. The whole money comes fron the Niger-delta but they have the poorest of schools, and infrastural development is zero.why can't Niger Delta be like Abuja? they suffer from polluted waters as a result of oil spillage and their means of survival which are farming and fishing are being destroyed because of the effect of destruction of crude in water and on land,killing the fish and maaking their land unproductive,
MEND should device a strategy to Drop bombs on Aso rock for all I care.blow up all the pipelines we might have to start from scratch and move towards a defined direction before things can work. They create a ministry of Niger Delta and all the roads and schools etc the ministry is supposed to construct are the same roads that million of dollars have been approved for the ministry of works to handle 2yrs back,where is that money and why can't the ministry embark on new projects ??why duplicate same projects under different ministries, the govt is full of crap.
Money comes from the Niger Delta and goes to the North, MEND  should continue the struggle, atleast they are giving the govt cause for concern.

dis one dey small, more dey come

ahf:

Not to talk of kidnapping of road construction personnel,

Dats d most annoying part my broda.

ahf:

Ultimately I see the companies enduring till the sitauation is  no longer conducive, either a new haven of oil and gas (Angola, Gabon etc) will emerge or the use of alternative technology will expand.

Angola has already emerged, and their reserves are growing fast.

drops in production will mean drop in stealing by those in authority.when oil no dey again,dem go steal their wives panties? with oil we are hurting,maybe without it we may hurt less.africans are very fond of killing each other at the drop of a hat.Angola which is being touted as the nxt biggest producers of oil killed themselves for over 30 odd years because of mere diamonds,what will become of them when it is oil time.Angolans stopped the war after selling oil 4 only one year and realising that there is more money to be shared by government officials that with diamond.bt they vowed to keep Savimbi out of the oil windfall. .am not kidding cos i spent sme time in Luanda and i know the level of corruption there.atleat a resident permit there will set u poorer by 10grands american.u can quote me anywhere.so lets see what an increase in production of oil will bring to our brothers down south.
let me share this joke with u guys to put u all in a lighter mood.when God created the world,he put different things in different countries.when it came to the time of nigeria,God put excess of every thing into our beloved 9ija.other countries got angry and started complaining.some went to God to confront the man face 2 face.God looked at them and laughed.He told them WHY ARE U COMPLAINING ABOUT NIGERIA AND THE QUANTITY OF THINGS THAT I PUT THERE,WHY NOT SIT DOWN AND SEE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT I WILL PUT THERE.my fellow nairalanders,u can see the type of pple that papa God really put here.

papaejima:

"God looked at them and laughed.He told them WHY ARE U COMPLAINING ABOUT NIGERIA AND THE QUANTITY OF THINGS THAT I PUT THERE,WHY NOT SIT DOWN AND SEE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT I WILL PUT THERE.my fellow nairalanders,u can see the type of pple that papa God really put here.

-Nigeria !!!! We are an unbeliveable set of people. Truly in our mist of plenty. We have excuse for all evil, condem all in progress, but never seem to propose alternative solutions to problems.