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New Page 31
Bunkering: Nigeria loses 40,000 bpd
SOPURUCHI ONWUKA
NIGERIA
is losing about 40,000 barrels of crude oil worth about $1.6 million (about N224
million) daily to thieves on the biggest oil exploration and production joint
venture (JV) operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria
Limited.
This is besides the annual $40 million
(N5.6 billion) spent by the JV on vandalisation, spills and remediation
associated with crude stealing from networks of facilities deployed in the
operations.
It was learnt week-end that the situation
is likely to worsen by the end of the year with the volumes stolen and spilled
tripling if urgent measures are not taken to halt the trend.
Already, the Navy has arrested 41 people,
22 barges with combined capacity of 44,000 metric tonnes, micro-pumping
machines, boats and canoes used in illegal bunkering.
Crude thefts reached alarming proportions
last year, a situation that compelled President Olusegun Obasanjo to despatch a
delegation to neighbouring West African countries and Cameroun to dissuade them
from patronising stolen crudes from Nigeria.
In its 2003 annual reports, Shell stated
that it suffered 88 crude oil thefts and loss of nine million barrels of crude
oil and deferred another 13.8 million barrels.
Shell’s Production Manager in charge of
the Eastern operation Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu told journalists in Port Hacourt Rivers
State that crude thefts from JV facilities peaked at 100,000 barrels per day
(b/d) in 2003 before the presidential intervention.
The presidential delegation led by
erstwhile Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, had elicited commitments from the
identified buyers to dissuade from illegal crude trade with the thieves.
NNPC representing government in the JV is
the principal interest holder with 55 per cent equity share while Shell holds 30
per cent, Elf 10 per cent and Agip five per cent.
Mr. Sunmonu who said the efforts of the
Obaseki team reduced rate of stealing to 10,000 b/d last year, however stated
the incidents continued to rise in the first quarter of this year and now stands
at over 40,000 b/d.
"We regularly reported these incidents and
their impact to the Federal Government, which responded by improving and
expanding the level of security patrols on the waterways," Shell said in the
2003 report.
Commanding Officer of NNS Pathfinder in
Port Harcourt, Capt. Goddy Ohuabunwa, told journalists at the base that his men
have arrested 41 suspects in connection with crude theft in the various swamp
locations.
According to him, 13 out of the 41 have
been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while
the rest were with the police for prosecution.
Captain Ohuabunwa said his men intercepted
the bunkering facilities during patrol of the waterways in response to the
resurgence of crude stealing.
He said the facilities and their contents
were seized after overpowering the illegal bunkering crews who, he said, are
armed with sophisticated weapons.
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