The company that owned a seized vessel, the MT Prestigious, Newcross Exploration And Production Limited, said the potential impact of the delay in releasing the vessel currently in the custody of the Nigerian Navy has serious financial implications for Nigeria.
According to the firm, the detention of the vessel has resulted in the suspension of more than 100kbopd in crude oil production, the suspension of gas delivery for domestic and export supply (e.g. NLNG), and the disruption of terminal operations and lifting programmes due to low stock inventory.
It affirmed that “these impacts represent the interest of key stakeholders and operators that rely on this evacuation solution.”
The private security firm that apprehended the vessel, the Niger Delta Renaissance Network purportedly said the MT Prestigious has been released by the Nigerian Navy it alleged it was stealing crude oil in the Niger Delta region.
But Newcross Exploration And Production Limited in an electronic statement stated that the Vessel is indeed still under the surveillance and close monitoring by the Navy in Bonny.
In an update issued by the Vessel owners to the National Security Advisor, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, they stated that after the visit by the IGP Illegal Bunkering Team (“Operation Tantita”) to MT Prestigious which occurred on May 2, 2024, the team alleged that they had received reports of illegal bunkering activities of a vessel with an IMO number matching MT Prestigious WD, the 2nd mother vessel deployed in Bonny to support the Newcross EP barging operations.
It stated although no clear evidence of the allegations was shared, written testimony was taken from the MT Prestigious Captain, Donna Spectre (barging vendor) representative, and Newcross EP representative that confirmed the vessels mission was only to convey crude to Bonny Terminal SBM3.
It said “Subsequently, a request was made to collect cargo samples for fingerprinting which cannot be granted without the written approval of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the presence of an independent laboratory.”
However, the Director of Navy Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu confirmed that the Navy never said it has released the vessel to its owners.
Speaking to our correspondent via mobile phone, Adams-Aliu said “the Nigerian Navy never said it released the vessel. I confirm to you that yes it is in the custody of the Navy, the vessel is in Bonny”
Sources confirmed to our correspondent acknowledging the presence of Officers and Men of the Nigerian Navy aboard the vessels in Bonny, making the allegation by the Niger Delta Renaissance Network, that the Vessels have been released totally baseless.
However, the Vessel owners have also spoken on the urgent need for intervention of NUPRC on the IGP Team to ensure that due process is followed and the stoppage to their operations can be quickly resolved considering the critical role they play in generating value for the Nation.
