By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja


The Federal Government has said high-level cases of oil theft have become a threat to the country’s corporate and economic existence, with the industry now thinking of transporting crude oil from fields to export terminals by trucks.

This is as it raised an alarm over the rising rate of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, disclosing that about $3.27 billion worth of oil has been lost to vandalism in the past 14 months.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in a presentation at a stakeholders’ engagement on oil theft in Abuja yesterday said the government was extremely worried about the tragic situation.

The Commission disclosed that most of the crude oil losses came from Bonny Terminal Network, Forcados Terminal Network and Brass Terminal Network.

It listed factors that were aiding the criminal activities as: economic challenges, inadequate security, poor surveillance, poor community engagements, exposed facilities and stakeholder compromises.

The commission stated that due to the high level of theft, the country has been unable to meet its OPEC production quota.

Speaking on the issue, the Chief Executive of NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe said the government was determined to end the menace so that the country can benefit from the rising price of oil and also to protect the environment from oil spills.

According to him, “the issue of oil theft has become a very worrisome issue to the government of Nigeria and I believe to you as investors too”.

Engr. Komolafe stressed that it was important that the government and the oil companies’ work together resolve the issue especially on the agreed volume of oil lost to vandals as the issues strike at the heart of Federation revenue.

“You will recall that in the last one week we have set up a crack team for us to determine the accurate figure because as a government we cannot continue to act on the basis of an abstract or inaccurate figure in dealing with an important issue as crude oil theft because the issue goes to the heart of Federation revenue”.

He noted that “the concern of the government is to increase our national oil production. Basically, we are an oil economy and when the upstream is sick it affects the wellbeing and the health of the country.

“The situation that is happening in the upstream is getting to the level of threat to the existence and wellbeing of Nigeria.

“As a responsible regulator we are very concerned about it. We have been doing a lot and we are not relenting.

“We will do everything possible to increase oil production in a manner that will make the nation benefit from the upward swing in the international price of crude oil”.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/03/fg-mulls-crude-transportation-by-truck-over-high-level-of-theft/

Lalasticlala

Makes no sense in any way... So how many barrels do they hope to transport by trucks and how safe it that to be?

Invest in the ND, FG is dragging. When there’s no recourse to the people, this is what you get.

When it involves the ND, FG will tell them to hold their leaders accountable, meanwhile anytime ND leaders make a request, it feels like they’re asking to break away from the country with the response from the FG.

There are more port cities in the Nd than any other region in the Country or even Africa as a whole, you can check the Nigerian map to see this.

Oil cargoes can be shipped directly from oil fields in those regions to any part of the world. But they choose Lagos.

The hand of kpo fire people. It is long overdue

.

So na truck go come secure pass?

Ndi ala!

Abeg the NNPC should be privatise and the petroleum downstream sector liberated while government hands off regulation of prices of Petroleum products.

Nigeria I hail thee!

So won't they result to hijacking the trucks?
And would it be safe to be transporting something delicate as it by road.

This is fúcking hilarious. Please ask them who in this country has the capacity to steal the amount of crude that is being stolen these days ? It's definitely not those semi literate small time crooks in the Niger Delta

3ple9ine:
So won't they result to hijacking the trucks?

And would it be safe to be transporting something delicate as it by road.

it's just hot air. Even a million 33k ltrs trucks won't be enough for this proposal. They're just looking for scape goats and which village to visit

dawnomike:
Makes no sense in any way... So how many barrels do they hope to transport by trucks and how safe it that to be?

Austin Avuru stated that 90% of crude is stolen especially in the East. Lifting by trucks will be better tracked and secured. The current unsustainable system is a complete disaster and I think EFCC should be involved to track unusual inflows into the accounts of the suspects and those within the system. It is not ghosts that steal crude o.

Now it makes absolute sense why Alhaji Dangote sited his refinery in Lagos near the deep sea port so he can import crude oil from other nations in the event that the Nigerian crude to be supplied to him is stolen.
He plans to use only trucks to transport his product outside the refinery. So he is already setting the lead example that trucks are better in our situation.

FreeStuffsNG:

Austin Avuru stated that 90% of crude is stolen especially in the East. Lifting by trucks will be better tracked and secured. The current unsustainable system is a complete disaster and I think EFCC should be involved to track unusual inflows into the accounts of the suspects and those within the system. It is not ghosts that steal crude o.

Now it makes absolute sense why Alhaji Dangote sited his refinery in Lagos near the deep sea port so he can import crude oil from other nations in the event that the Nigerian crude to be supplied to him is stolen.
He plans to use only trucks to transport his product outside the refinery. So he is already setting the lead example that trucks are better in our situation.

The question here is,..on which roads ? and will the pirates and the unknown gunmen just clap and watch them come and go?.

Conrod:
The question here is,..on which roads ? and will the pirates and the unknown gunmen just clap and watch them come and go?.

Just watch Dangote do it. Most of you look at impossibilities but watch how govt will achieve it now that the political will is there
Btw, pirates are not ghosts and same way petrol in petrol tankers move around the country is same way crude too will move.
Just watch it and know that FG is still the boss