Oil & Energy
Products Monitoring: DPR Gives Filling Stations Ultimatum
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has given owners of petroleum products retail outlets a December 31 ultimatum to migrate their operations to its Downstream Remote Monitoring System (DRMS).
Director, DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, gave the ultimatum during a meeting between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and agencies in the petroleum sector last Thursday in Lagos.
Newsmen report that other agencies at the meeting included the pipelines and products marketing company, petroleum products pricing and regulatory agency and the petroleum equalisation fund management board.
Auwalu said: “The DRMS, also known as e-Station, is an inventory and regulatory tool that tracks product level across retail outlets and depots.
“The system also tracks the movement of products from depot to retail outlets.
“The app was developed in-house by DPR staffers to track products in order to curb cross border smuggling and diversion of products.
“We want every marketer to migrate into this platform and each of them will have their unique ID to monitor their activities.”
He noted that out of the 33,000 retail outlets registered with the DPR, only about 6,700 have migrated to the platform.
Auwalu said any outlet which failed to comply with the directive would have its licence withdrawn and would not be allowed to load petroleum products at the depots.
He said the DRMS would bring sanity to the down stream sector of oil and gas industry.
Auwalu added that the move would also go a long way to complement the efforts of sister agencies in their bid to regulate the industry.
“We have been able to capture so many diversions, check overloading, under-dispensing and other illegal practices of operators, because with DRMS, we can track all the activities of these operators on our platform,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman, EFCC,Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, said there was need for synergy and collaboration among agencies in the petroleum sector to tackle the issue of oil theft.
Bawa, represented by Director of Operations, EFCC, Mr Abdulkerim Chukkol, said the agency was saddled with investigation of financial and economic crimes.
He said the oil and gas industry was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy and it was therefore the duty of the commission to protect the nation’s resources.
On their parts. Executive Secretary, PEF Management Board, Mr Ahmed Bobboi, Executive Secretary, PPPRA Mr Abdulkadir Saidu, and Managing Director, PPMC, Mr Musa Lawan, commended the DPR for the initiative.
They called for more engagements between the agencies and leveraging on the DRMS platform to achieve their mandates.
Nigeria’s losses due to crude oil theft has been said to be more significant than those of some other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC).
The Chairman, Senate Ad- hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Senator Ned Nwoko, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Nwoko noted with dismay the detrimental impact of the issue, which, he said include economic damage, environmental destruction, and its impact on host communities.
According to him, the theft was not only weakening the Naira, but also depriving the nation of vital revenue needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District described the scale of the theft as staggering, with reports indicating losses of over 200,000 barrels per day.
Nwoko disclosed that the ad hoc committee on Crude Oil Theft, which he chairs, recently had a two-day public hearing on the rampant theft of crude oil through illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, and the systemic gaps in the regulation and surveillance of the nation’s petroleum resources.
According to him, the public hearing was a pivotal step in addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the nation.
‘’Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to crude oil theft. This is severely undermining our economy, weakening the Naira and depriving the nation of vital revenue needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social development.
‘’The scale of this theft is staggering, with reports indicating losses of over 200,000 barrels per day more than some OPEC member nations produce.
‘’This criminal enterprise fuels corruption, funds illegal activities and devastates our environment through spills and pollution.
‘’The public hearing was not just another talk shop; it was a decisive platform to uncover the root causes of crude oil theft, bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
‘’It was a platform to evaluate the effectiveness of existing surveillance, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms; Identify regulatory and legislative gaps that enable these crimes to thrive.
‘’It was also to engage stakeholders, security agencies, host communities, oil companies, regulators, and experts to proffer actionable solutions; and strengthen legal frameworks to ensure stricter penalties and more efficient prosecution of offenders”, he said.
Nwoko noted that Nigeria’s survival depended
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) has called on Nigerian companies to position themselves strategically to take full advantage of the growing opportunities in upcoming offshore and shallow water oil and gas projects.
The Managing Director, SNEPCO, Ronald Adams, made the call at the 5th Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) Conference, held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, last Thursday.
Adams highlighted the major projects, including Bonga Southwest Aparo, Bonga North, and the Bonga Main Life Extension, as key areas where Nigerian businesses can grow their capacity and increase their involvement.
“Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) says Nigerian companies have a lot to benefit if they are prepared to take advantage of more opportunities in its offshore and shallow water oil and gas projects.
“Projects such as Bonga Southwest Aparo, Bonga North and Bonga Main Life Extension could grow Nigerian businesses and improve their expertise if they applied themselves seriously to executing higher value contracts”, Adams stated.
Adams noted that SNEPCo pioneered Nigeria’s deepwater oil exploration with the Bonga development and has since played a key role in growing local industry capacity.
He emphasized that Nigerian businesses could expand in key areas like logistics, drilling, and the construction of vital equipment such as subsea systems, mooring units, and gas processing facilities.
The SNEPCO boss explained that since production began at the Bonga field in 2005, SNEPCo has worked closely with Nigerian contractors to build systems and develop a skilled workforce capable of delivering projects safely, on time, and within budget both in Nigeria and across West Africa.
According to him, this long-term support has enabled local firms to take on key roles in managing the Bonga Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which reached a major milestone by producing its one-billion barrel of oil on February 3, 2023.
The Emohua Local Government Area Administrator, Franklin Ajinwo, has pledged to improve electricity distribution in Oduoha Ogbakiri and its environs.
Ajinwo made the pledge recently while playing host in a courtesy visit to the Oduoha Ogbakiri Wezina Council of Chiefs, in his office in Rumuakunde.
He stated that arrangements are underway to enhance available power, reduce frequent outages, and promote steady electricity supply.
The move, he said, was aimed at boosting small and medium-scale businesses in the area.
“The essence of power is not just to have light at night. It’s for those who can use it to enhance their businesses”, he said.
The Administrator, who commended the peaceful nature of Ogbakiri people, urged the Chiefs to continue in promoting peace and stability, saying “meaningful development can only thrive in a peaceful environment”.
He also charged the Chiefs to protect existing infrastructure while promising to address the challenges faced by the community.
Earlier, the Oduoha Ogbakiri Wezina Council of Chiefs, led by HRH Eze Goodluck Mekwa Eleni Ekenta XV, expressed gratitude to the Administrator over his appointment and pledged their support to his administration.
The chiefs highlighted challenges facing the community to include incessant power outage, need for new transformers, and the completion of Community Secondary School, Oduoha.
The visit underscored the community’s expectations from the LGA administration.
With Ajinwo’s assurance of enhancing electricity distribution and promoting development, the people of Oduoha Ogbakiri said they look forward to a brighter future.
By: King Onunwor