T h e Ni g e r i a n Na t i o n a l Pe t ro l e u m C o r p o r a t i o n (NNPC) has revealed that cases of pipeline vandalism rose by 91 per cent from 49 cases in February to 94 in March, 2017 making it the worst in recent history. However, the NNPC said the March 2017 figure was a noticeable improvement compared to corresponding period of March 2016 which posted 259 cases. A s t a t e m e n t b y t h e corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Aff airs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, indicated this in the March 2017 edition of its monthly Financial and Operations Report. Th e NNPC regretted the rise in vandalism was despite the federal government’s and its continuous engagement with stakeholders in the petroleum sector and in the Niger Delta.
Th e corporation said it has in stock, a robust inland supply of over 1.2 billion litres of petrol suffi cient for more than 34 days forward consumption. Meanwhile, the corporation has allayed fears that it would halt importation of petroleum products stating that it would continue to import to supplement AGO local refi ning, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had released foreign exchange to marketers to import AGO and ATK.
In statement explained that the report highlighted that the inaugurated 497.2 km System 2B petroleum pipeline network which was achieved within the period under review had helped the NNPC to sustain the gale of uninterrupted supply and distribution of products throughout the country. “Only recently the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, noted that the corporation’s re-commissioned Mosimi and Kano depots had impacted positively on highways across the Country.
“Dr. Baru had stated that the two depots had relieved the impacts of long haulage of petroleum products on the roads, saving the nation of serious environmental consequences of bridging to motorists, settlements along highways and the general ecosystem in the country.” The statement assured that the federal government’s eff orts to boost electric power generation in the country may soon yield results following the sustained increase in gas supply for power generation by the NNPC.
“Th e average national daily gas production for the period stood at an impressive 226.918 billion cubic feet, bcf, which translates to over 7.319 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, mmscfd,” Ughamdu quoted the report. Already, he said the daily average national gas supply to gas power plants has increased to 689mmscfd or the equivalent to power generation of 3056 MW.
“Th e March 2017 fi gure is an improvement on the previous month’s record which stood at 582 mmscfd. Th e supply is also over 29 percent higher than the corresponding supply record for March 2016,” he said.
