Energy
NNPC declares state of emergency on oil production
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has declared a state of emergency on crude oil production.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, made this known on Tuesday in a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 23rd edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG Energy Week) in Abuja.
According to him: “We have decided to stop the debate. We have declared war on the challenges affecting our crude oil production. War means war. We have the right tools. We know what to fight. We know what we have to do at the level of assets. We have engaged our partners. And we will work together to improve the situation.”
Kyari further stated that a detailed asset analysis revealed Nigeria can produce two million barrels of crude oil per day without deploying new rigs, adding that the primary obstacle is the inability of industry players to act promptly.
The NNPCL boss said the war will make the company and its partners immediately remove all identified barriers to efficient production, including delays in procurement processes, which have become a challenge in the industry.
Speaking on the medium- to long-term measures to boost and sustain production, Kyari said NNPC will replace all the old crude oil pipelines built over four decades ago.
He said the company will also introduce a rig-sharing programme with its partners to ensure that production rigs stay in the country for between four and five years, which is the standard practice in most countries.
The NNPC boss urged all players in the industry to synergize towards reducing the cost of production and enhancing production to target levels.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to investing in critical midstream gas infrastructure such as the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipelines to boost domestic gas production and supply for power generation, industrial development and the economic prosperity of the country.
He said NNPCL has since keyed into the presidential compressed natural gas (CNG) drive, and, in collaboration with partners like NIPCO Gas, has constructed several CNG stations.
By Olaseinde Gbenga
The Executive Director, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Oluwole Adama has disclosed that the future of the country’s Oil and Gas Sector is very bright.
He made this known during the panel discussion at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy week conference and exhibition in Abuja on Wednesday with the theme: Accelerating Investment, Enabling Industry Growth, Meeting Energy Demand.
According to him, “the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA ) initiated by the government in regarding Gas is to create competition and revitalisation in the Oil and Gas industry but for Gas particularly, there have been so many government schemes, from Gas master plan, to decade of Gas to create infrastructure.”
He noted that the section 42 of the PIA Act set up MidStream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure fund (MDGIF), which is slow in starting but “because of the drive by the President for auto, a council was appointed in January, which we hit the ground running by crafting policy to ensure we have a robust processes.”
He said, “the council approved investment policy process in the month of March which will be accessible on our agency’s platform for all Nigerians. We have received several applications, and we are currently reviewing 50.
“In line with the PIA Act, we have built a budget for the sector, and we want to allocate this year for different projects, from the Gas pipelines, to Liquefied Natural Gas(LNG), Compressed Natural Gas(CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas( LPG), which the council and the National assembly has approved.”
According to him, “We are in the process of reviewing about 40 projects in line with the policy.”
“Also, the fund which we keep emphasising is an equity fund not government grant. We want to ensure that every money invested is safe and increases because it is equity.”
… launches an ambitious plan to plant 10 million special trees to Offset Tons of Carbon Emissions
Women In Energy Oil and Gas (WEOG) officially announced September 3 as World Decarbonisation Day. As part of the Decarbonization Initiative, WEOG plans to plant over 10 million special trees that have higher rates of carbon absorption.
Oladunni Owo, National President of WEOG in Nigeria and CEO of Blackgold Energy Authorities made the declaration during the Decarbonization Initiative Press Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
WEOG is a forum created to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the male-dominated energy, oil, and gas industry in Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme “Collaboration, Innovation, and Action for a Low Carbon Oil & Gas Industry,” Owo noted that despite advancements in human investments and industrialization, there is more carbon in the atmosphere than is sustainable for human life.
She said, “Suddenly, we started hearing words like the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and carbon pollution and emissions.”
She explained that decarbonisation is a process where carbon can be converted, stored, captured, and sequestered, keeping it within the oil well or underground so it does not escape into the atmosphere.
“With decarbonisation, our energy oil and gas resources can still be very useful. Our research also showed that oil and gas are not just about fuels (petrol, diesel, DPK, and other forms of fuels).
“Oil and gas are also about fertilizers, polyester, rubber, petrochemicals, and several other products that are not necessarily fuel.”
She further stated that the decarbonisation agenda of WEOG focuses on making the exploration and production of oil and gas clean to minimize environmental impact.
Owo said, “The solution is decarbonisation, and currently, ongoing research on how this can be achieved shows that the simplest and most achievable method is tree planting.
“These activities can be carried out by everyone, including the high and mighty.”
Owo emphasized that in Africa and Nigeria, there is a significant energy gap, so a diverse range of energy resources, including solar, wind, hydrogen, nuclear, and gas, is needed to close these gaps.
This is why WEOG is initiating the concept of bringing decarbonisation to the forefront.
“We want to elevate this to another level and let it become another Conference of the Parties (COP), spreading from Nigeria to other parts of the world,” Owo said.
Regarding World Decarbonisation Day, Owo stated that WEOG initially picked June 24, 2024, but due to interest from various groups, including international bodies, an unveiling was done in Houston, Texas, during the recently concluded OTC.
Following this, the President of Nigeria also showed interest, leading to the selection of September 3, 2024, as the official date.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to make the main declaration, and September has been declared Decarbonisation Month, with Decarbonisation Week from September 3 to 5 in Abuja.
Owo has therefore invited stakeholders, industry experts, and potential partners to join and support WEOG in the advocacy.
She also confirmed that WEOG has initiated the National Decarbonisation Park.
Prince Nwosu also spoke, encouraging women in the oil and gas field to embrace the initiatives and visions of WEOG.
“It cannot be well if you are not aware,” he said, urging women to sustain the advocacy about climate change and its impact.
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