*PENGASSAN expresses satisfaction with FG, NNPC’s war against oil theftEmmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos
The industry experts, who spoke to THISDAY in separate phone chats, included the immediate-past Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria and marginal field operator, Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor; Chief Executive Officer, NCGAP Limited, Mr. Tajudeen Adigun; and the Lagos Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN, which is made up of the six South-west states and Kwara State, Mr. Eyam Abeng.
Speaking to THISDAY, Okoroafor, who is the Chief Executive Officer of CB Geophysical Solutions Limited, an oil service firm, described the commencement of the drilling campaign at the Kolmani Field as a good move. He noted that since the past decades when investors like the international oil companies were not willing to invest and explore at the frontier areas, the federal government through the NNPC had been the one exploring and footing the bill.
“So it’s a win-win for everybody. People should look at it from the positive side. I see it as a win-win and I hope every other person will look at it that way.” He, however, pointed out that the wealth would only make meaning in the life of the people if lessons could be learnt from what happened in the Niger Delta by ensuring the utilisation of the resources for the benefit of the people.
Also, PENGASSAN has given a thumbs up to the federal government, the NNPC and other stakeholders for efforts taken so far to end the oil theft and vandalism menace in the nation’s oil and gas industry. “Are we satisfied with the current level of work done today vis-a-vis where we are coming from, we’re highly satisfied. But are we going to rest on our oars? No. We will keep optimising the process to a point where we can comfortably tell ourselves that there is now zero oil theft in the industry. So it’s a work in progress and all hands are on deck”, Abeng said.
“So, for us, it is a positive development that should be welcome and celebrated. And with a 120,000 barrels per day refinery that will be there, that means on a long term basis, as soon as the refinery comes on stream, the output of the refinery will technically take care of the northeast and when the northeast is saturated, we can be a net exporter of petrol to the surrounding African countries around Lake Chad, Niger and other neighbouring African countries.
While he acknowledged that the drilling of oil hasn’t done much to improve the condition of the average Nigerian, the economist, however, argued that there were also nations that have taken advantage of oil to develop other sectors.