Oil and Gas
Security agents’ fire guts bunkering site, rages NNPCL facility in Rivers
Reports that fire outbreak ocassioned by security agents’ shelling of the riverine to ward off oil facility vandals came to the open on Wednesday in Portharcourt as the said fire lasted for four days.
The fire outbreak affected the wellhead of OML15, a facility operated by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), also known as Bukuma/Buguma flow station in Asari-Toru local government area of Rivers.
Despite efforts by government and private security agents, oil theft continues to permanent in the Niger Delta unabated.
Livingstone Membere, President of Kalabari Youths Federation, KYF and leader of the team that led newsmen to the scene of the incident explained that repeated raids by the security agents were responsible for the oil spill that now resulted in the fire outbreak.
Civil society organisations have condemned the failure of the federal and state governments as well as the relevant agencies and the operator to put off the fire four days after it occured.
The CSOs, Environmental Defenders Network, (EDEN), and Defense for Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD), in separate statements made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, called for immediate action to put off the inferno.
EDEN in the statement by its Executive Director, Chima Williams berated the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and oil regulatory agencies for not taking the necessary measures to protect the environment and the people from such high-level environmental disaster, insisting it was gross negligence of human and environmental rights.
“It is unfortunate that for the people of the localities involved, the year 2025 has started on a bad note with the disruption of the environment that sustains their livelihood. In an ideal society where ministries and agencies of government are up and doing, an oil spill is not supposed to last for that long, talk more of a fire outbreak that could destroy human, aquatic and wildlife in a very short period.”.
Williams stressed that besides the environmental and ecological damage, the people of that area have been exposed to several chemicals that could be detrimental to their health, considering how delicate the riverine terrain is.
He called on the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, NOSDRA and the other agencies to rise up to their responsibility of protecting the interest of the common people. He further called on the military and security agencies to adopt more professional and environmentally friendly ways of tackling oil theft and bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
On his part, the Chairman of DHRD, Clifford Christopher, threatened to mobilise mass protests and institute legal action against the government and the NNPCL if nothing urgent is done to quickly put off the fire.
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Christopher decried that host communities of the Niger Delta region have continued to suffer the impacts of oil exploration for decades and called for remediation and compensation processes for the impacted communities of the spill and fire outbreak.
“The Defense for Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD), note with much concern the prolonged oil spill that occurred in Buguma waterways in the Degema local government area of Rivers State. The coastal oil well and facility are being operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPCL. This incident is a serious environmental threat to and right to life of the people. Regrettably, this incident has gone on for too long and based on this avoidable spill, the lives of the Aborigines have been destroyed.
“The Defense for Human Rights and Democracy is calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the NNPCL, the Rivers State government, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and all relevant agencies to as a matter of urgency, quickly respond to stop, remediate, restore the environment and pay adequate compensation to the affected communities or face several protests and legal action.
“The Niger Delta region for several decades has faced environmental degradation, exploration and all manner of hazards which has consequently reduced the life span of the people and their sources of livelihood. If this call is not heeded within seven days, then we will have no choice but to embark on mass protests and institute legal action.”
The Nigeria Liquefied Gas on Friday called for energy security to be made a national priority through proactive measure in a manner that the infrastructure and critical assets are protected for the sustainable growth of the oil and gas industry.
Speaking at a panel session titled “Driving Cross-Continental Investments: Scaling Africa’s Energy Frontier” at the 8th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Philip Mshelbila stated that there were growing concerns over gas infrastructure security, stressing that while improvements have been recorded in securing oil assets, that gas infrastructure remains vulnerable, and without adequate protection which will lead to underperformance in the industry.
Mshelbina stated that NLNG was focused on boosting both domestic and regional energy access, adding that the company was making smaller-scale investments to retain more gas for local consumption. He noted that a major step in this direction was NLNG’s decision to domesticate 100% of its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply for the Nigerian market.
Beyond the domestic market, Mshelbila remarked that the Company was also working towards enhancing regional energy security. He revealed that, as part of the Train 7 project, the company was constructing a third jetty to support small-scale vessels in supplying gas across Africa’s coastal markets.
Additionally, he said the company was supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in connecting Bonny Island to the mainland to facilitate LPG trucking, thereby strengthening domestic gas distribution. This initiative is expected to boost West Africa’s energy distribution network, positioning NLNG as a key player in the region’s energy landscape, he noted.
Mshelbila also emphasised the need for clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to attract long-term investments.
Through proactive methane reduction, low-carbon innovations, and impactful social initiatives, Mshelbila remarked that NLNG’s commitment to local content and sustainability aligned with global energy transition priorities, stating that NLNG was building investor confidence and demonstrating long-term value.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji has said, the sum of $200 billion is needed to be injected into Nigeria’s gas infrastructure for its development and maximization of the natural resources as the ninth largest gas producer in the world as number one in Africa.
He pointed this out in the 2021 – 2023 reports on Oil, Gas and Solid Minerals presented to the Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, saying the required infrastructure for maximization of gas resources in the country are not there.
He said, there was need for the injection of $20 billion yearly into gas infrastructure for a period of ten years for construction of gas pipelines along and across West African sub-region, and beyond which is a huge expenditure”, he said.
Orji said: “In Nigeria, what we need, is to invest in gas infrastructure to evacuate gas as our study shows that we need an initial investment of $20 billion annually for 10 years to be able to generate the kind of gas infrastructure required to provide gas for the whole of Africa and beyond.
A member of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Abdul Ningi asked, “what NEITI is doing on alleged $8.5billion unremitted into the consolidated revenue fund by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in 2023”, the NEITI boss said the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC , is already probing the agencies involved.
Senate panel were further irked by the submission in the NEITI’s report that less than 1% of solid minerals is remitted into Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund account.
Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, speaking on remittances of Solid Minerals into the Consolidated Revenue Fund decried the less than 1% contribution of proceeds from the sector on yearly basis.
Other members were unanimous that, NEITI’s report on solid minerals, is not reflective of what is going on in the solid mineral sector.
They wondered why only States like Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross Rivers and FCT, were mentioned in the report excluding Nasarawa , Zamfara , Kebbi , Plateau, Bauchi etc .
Specifically the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Wadada described the less than one 1% contribution of solid minerals to GDP as quite ridiculous and unacceptable.
“This definitely must not continue, there must be complete overhaul of the sector “, he said
Oil and Gas
Niger Tanker Explosion: NUPENG urges government to repair roads, senditise citizens on danger of fuel scooping
The national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has urged the Federal Government to repair roads to avert tanker tragedies across the country.
NUPENG made the call in reaction to the recent tragic tanker explosion in Suleja, Niger State.
A statement jointly signed by Williams Akporeha and Olawale Afolabi, respectively, President and General Secretary stated that the union was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives, the destruction of properties, and the injuries sustained by many in this devastating incident.”
The statement, issued to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, also appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address the poor condition of federal roads.
The statement read in part: “The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal Government to repair bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitising the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from petroleum truck accidents.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones during this traumatic and challenging time.”
NUPENG further sppealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to repair federal roads which it noted were in bad shape.
It also tasked the Federal Government to mandate its relevant agencies to seize the initiative towards sensitising Nigerians on the danger of scooping fuel from scenes of petrol tanker accidents.
The statement further reads in part:”The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal government to repazir bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitizing the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from accidental situations of petroleum trucks on highways.
“As a responsible organization, NUPENG collaborates annually with relevant agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, and State Traffic Management agencies, to train our drivers on road safety. The Union is committed to continuously training and retraining our members on best driving and safety practices.
“We stand in solidarity with the affected families and the entire Dikko community in Niger State. We commend the emergency responders who bravely extinguished the fire and rescued many injured victims.
“We urge all relevant authorities to provide the necessary support and medical care to those injured and to take measures to prevent future tragedies.
“May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may their families find the strength to bear these irreparable losses.”
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