Pipeline surveillance contract: Communities shut down oil production in Rivers  over exclusion

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

A group, under the aegis of the Association of Niger Delta Upland Communities, has shutdown activities of International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Rumuekpe community, Emohua local government area of Rivers State over exclusion in the multi-billion naira pipeline surveillance contract awarded to ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemopolo, aka Tompolo.

The group, joined by over a thousand indigenes of Rumuekpe community including youths, men, women and the elderly, during a peaceful protest on Thursday demanded for payment of N19.2bn meant for 8 months salary arrears of TNP Oil Surveillance in area.

Speaking, President, Association of Niger Delta Upland Communities, Isa Mohammed, decried the hijack of the surveillance contract in the area by indigenes of Riverine communities.

Mohammed demanded that the N19.2billion wrongfully diverted by PINL to fake warlords in the riverine communities meant for eight months salary arrears of TNP Oil Surveillance in Rivers State, be returned to the upland communities.

He also called for the release of the original copies of documents for the oil surveillance contract for the TNP oil pipeline to the upland communities by the NNPCL.

“Our people were not given the opportunity included in the master’s deal, whereby about 150 persons died in Rumuekpe for fire outbreak disaster in that TNP even when the contract has been signed to the company.”

He stressed that they will keep fighting for the right of the upland communities until their demands are met.

“We need equal right from Federal Government as we store over 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day in Rumuekpe Manifold.

He however solicited for recognition of Niger Delta Upland Communities by the Federal, State, Local Government and oil companies operating within the upland communities.

Some indigenes of Rumuekpe community while addressing newsmen decried neglect of the community by government and oil companies operating in the area.

They accused the IOCs of shying away from their social responsibilities.

“We have four oil companies operating in Rumuekpe community namely; NDPR, SPDC, NAOC (Agip) and TotalEnergies, but we are lacking basic amenities.

“When you are coming to Rumuekpe community, you can see that we don’t have roads, we don’t have drinking water, no hospital, no market, no light and no school.

“We are calling on these companies and the government to provide these amenities for our people because we have suffered a lot,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s crude oil production has been raised to 1.728 million barrels per day in September following aggressive anti-crude oil theft efforts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) and the security agencies.

According to Persecondnews, an online medium, the increase in crude oil production was achieved as a result of NNPC Limited working collaboratively with the security agencies to tackle crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the country.
According to statistics obtained from the NNPCL, crude oil production has increased from about 1.6 million barrels per day to 1.728mbpd, inclusive of condensate volumes of 284,758 barrels.
The implication of this is that the NNPC is getting very close to the 1.8 million barrels per day oil target.
In the same vein, total gas produced by NNPCL as of 18th September 2023 is 7,100 mmscf/d.
This comprises domestic gas of 1,659 mmscf/d, gas to export of 2,788 mmscf/d, and gas flared 422 mmscf/d.
Crude oil (Dated Brent) was priced at $95.725 as at September 20 and it is lower than the previous day by -$1.140.
At the price of $95.725 barrel, it implies that the country will be making over $165m daily from the production of 1.72 million barrels per day.

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