Minister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has blamed the perennial fuel scarcity on the incessant vandalism of petroleum pipelines.
But he gave the assurance that the problem would soon be over as crude oil is being pumped directly from Escravos to Warri Refinery and also from Bonny to Port Harcourt Refinery through underwater pipeline. The minister gave the assurance while commissioning the first privately built multi-billion naira crude oil pipeline that now conveys crude oil directly to Warri Refinery from Escravos.
He said that with the underwater crude pipeline, it would be difficult for vandals to access it as such the crude flow to the refineries would not be disrupted.
According to him, one of the problems why the refineries have not been producing at their installed capacities was due to incessant vandalism of pipelines and the use of marine vessels.
“With this initiative, Warri refinery will have regular regular supply crude. Same thing Port Harcourt refinery, which will also be supplied through the Bonny”, Kachikwu stressed, adding, “with this, the three refineries would have refined petroleum products, thus elimination scarcity of the products.’’
Chairman of Ocean Marine Solution, Captain Nosa Okunbo, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for being proactive, stating that the government’s initiative in oil and gas sector was beginning to change the dynamics.
“This is first time in the last 10 years that crude will be delivered to the Warri refinery through pipe-lines.’’
According to him, similar work on Bonny to ferry crude to and Port Harcourt refinery has also come on stream and expressed the optimism that biting fuel scarcity would soon end if the three refineries were working at installed capacities.
His words: “Today, we are very glad that for the first time in over 10 years, we are able to deliver the crude line between Escravos and Warri. The crude is now flowing through the pipeline which was impossibility over the years. We thank God, you saw the minister, these refinery people were glad, NNPC is rejoicing and we as a company is also rejoicing for what God has used us to do. For me, I am so glad because sometimes there are certain things you achieve that are more than money. We have created serious value for this country using our own resources.
“As I speak to you there is no contract in place because in our industry there is something you call proof of concept. In our company we believe that everything is possible when you have the will, there must be a way and that is what we have achieved today. We thank God for the new leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. His face has saved the pipeline because he is a no nonsense man unlike before.
“The community cooperated with us. We used carrot and stick approach and our security surveillance and also the contract of actually doing the job and replacing the contract. It was very tedious and sometime we almost got killed and threat to our lives which informed why you see all these security around us. We have put our lives on the line to deliver Escravos; we have also delivered Bonny to Port Harcourt and today there is crude in Port Harcourt that is flowing to the refinery and the same thing with Warri refinery.
“As a company it was a big gamble to do this. We spent billions without penny from NNPC but today we have cured the problem. A lot of people did not understand, some wrote petitions that we were given contract, at a point my name was going to be soiled and I believe in my name. Am a role model to my family and the people on the street and that is what gave the will to deliver this’’.