Nigeria loses N535.3m daily to pipeline vandalism, says NNPC

Nigeria loses N535.3m daily to pipeline vandalism, says NNPC

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Wednesday deplored the recent increase in attacks on crude oil and gas pipelines, saying that itadversely affected the nation’s economy.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja by the
Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs
Division, NNPC, Mr Ohi Alegbe.

Alegbe said the nation lost about 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day to acts of vandalism on its pipeline.

Alegbe said the sudden increase in the activities of
saboteurs around the Trans-Forcados Pipeline and
the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline in the last six weeks was
shocking.

He said that the Escravos-Lagos Gas Pipeline was
vandalised with four breaks over the weekend.
“The act had robbed the nation of several billions of
naira to the detriment of the national economy.

“NNPC loses between 50,000 and 60,000 barrels of
crude oil and condensate on a daily basis to pipeline
breaks,” he said.

At 53 dollar per barrel, Nigeria loses about 3.2
million dollars (about N534.3 million) per day to oil
theft.

He said that there appeared to be a syndicate behind
the economic sabotage.
Alegbe stated that most of the power plants,
including those in Calabar, Alaoji, Omoku and
Olorunsogo had been connected to gas.

He said that all the efforts of the Federal
Government to construct unprecedented massive gas
pipeline infrastructure were being sabotaged by
pipeline vandals.

He said it was unfortunate that between January
and early February 2015 alone, the Trans-Forcados
Crude Pipeline was attacked and vandalised four
times.

Alegbe said that none of NNPC’s gas pipelines had
been able to run two straight days without being
brought down.

He said the corporation was exploring a number of
options on how to tackle the pipeline vandalism
menace.

He said the options ranged from an aggressive
community engagement to installation of
technological gadgets to stave off the vandals.

Alegbe said that each time a gas pipeline was
brought down by the vandals, power supply across
the country dropped which adversely affected
economic activities across the length and breadth of
the nation.

He called for a holistic approach to resolve the
pipeline vandalism scourge.

Alegbe said this should include tightening of
security and expeditious judicial enforcement, to
end the menace.