Connect with us

Column

Between JTF And Illegal Bunkering

Published

14 years ago

on

Unbridled instinct for quick money-making of most Nigerians, no doubt, remains one of the greatest threats to efforts aimed at stopping the upsurge in illegal bunkering of petroleum products across the Niger Delta region.

   In the recent past, allegations have been levelled against some military men attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), under Operation Restore Hope, for aiding and abating illegal oil bunkering in the region. Confirmed reports say the illegal deal is currently thriving successfully under the nose of some security personnel along the waterways and waterfronts.

Only recently, Wikileaks, said to be an oil servicing firm in the Niger Delta, openly accused the JTF men for being neck-deep in the nefarious act. Without mincing words, the firm alleged that some military men (JTF) are deeply involved in stealing crude oil at the waterfronts and the waterways in order to make quick money to the detriment of the nation.

Expectedly, JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigah denied the allegation, saying the military men are rather committed to ending the nefarious act of illegal oil bunkering across the Niger Delta. To buttress JTF claims, he said about 50 suspects involved in illegal oil bunkering were arrested between January and this month in the region.

What’s more, the Commander in charge of 82 Battalion, Lt Col. Greg Omorogbe also claimed that over 50 illegal refineries have been destroyed in the Bodo (Ogoni) and Andoni axis where a vast area of the mangrove has been razed down by fire, caused by oil spill. The military, he said, had been having a running battle with the “criminal gang” involved in the oil theft.

Also, the JTF spokesman alleged that foreigners were colluding with criminals in the Niger Delta region to perpetrate illegal oil theft, but assured that the task force was determined to stop the illegal deal.

But the claim of the JTF spokesman that some of his men were not involved in the illegal act, is being taken with a pinch of salt by the public. Why? Not too long ago, the JTF authorities had cause to arrest two soldiers and three civilians for alleged involvement in illegal bunkering activities in an Ogoni community in Rivers State.

Sadly, the two ill-fated soldiers, sources said, were among the security personnel drafted by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the area to check the activities of illegal bunkerers. As it were, some JTF  men who arrived the scene of crime, following a tip off, immediately apprehended the two soldiers (illegal bunkerers), got them beaten up and moved them to Port Harcourt along with their civilian collaborators.

The question now is: why would soldiers drafted to the area to stop illegal bunkering activities, remove their uniforms and got involved in the illegal deal? Perhaps, they want to have a share of the national cake right there before they are retired from active service.

Worse still, members of the Civil Defence Crops, sometime ago, also arrested some die-hard illegal bunkerers at the Abuloma waterfronts, with scores of drums and jerrycans, loaded with petroleum products. The deal, reports say, is still persisting in the area, with the consent of some topshots in the society. Yet, the JTF is parading the area and other parts of Niger Delta.

In Rivers State, to be specific, illegal oil bunkering was believed by many to have eased off, following the persistent combing of pipelines, especially along the waterways by security operatives. But from all indications, illegal bunkering of petroleum products has assumed a frenetic and feverish pitch in the recent past, within the coastal towns.

More worrisome is the fact that JTF men (soldiers) had been neck-deep in the illegal business in the recent past, according to reports, with containers of crude oil, leaving the coastal towns to designated spots. Sadly enough, the nefarious trade  has to a great extent, exposed the coastal towns to serious danger.

Another mind-boggling question on this touchy issue is: where are members of the military taskforce (soldiers and navalmen) mandated to call the bluff of the die-hard illegal bunkerers? Why is this illegal business still thriving with ease along the coastal towns?

Again, can it be true that some top security operatives benefit in some way from the illegal bunkering business? This is unfortunate, to say the least. Perhaps, a properly constituted panel of inquiry should be set up by the authorities concerned to unravel the mystery surrounding the ease with which illegal bunkerers are carrying out their nefarious deals.

In the alternative, a new task force should be reconstituted as a matter of urgency, to police the pipelines, along the waterfronts and in the hinterland. Yes. The authorities must do something and urgently too, in order to nip in the bud, the antics of  illegal bunkerers, especially, the soldiers conniving with die-hard oil bunkerers.

One can recall sadly that a young man, not too long ago, was said to have been choked to death somewhere at Alesa-Eleme, while scooping petrol with others from a burst petroleum pipe, vandalised by illegal oil bunkerers. Regrettably, women and children also had a field day from the damaged pipeline in spite of the dangers they were exposed to-the possibility of a fire outbreak as had been recorded in some other parts of the country, in the past years.

What was worrisome about this particular incident was that the petrol was reportedly being scooped from the burst pipe, under the nose of armed security personnel. Yet, nobody was apprehended. This is sad, to say the least.

It is instructive to state that authorities of the JTF, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the oil firms cannot fold their arms and watch illegal bunkerers, and some misguided security operatives, hold the nation to ransom. Indeed, something needs to be done now to protect the nation’s economy.

Yes, the country depends largely on petroleum products to keep its economy afloat. Therefore, the JTF, being the body saddled with the responsibility of curbing the excesses of illegal bunkerers at the waterfronts and waterways, must monitor (on regular basis), the activities of some of its men in order not to drag its name in the mud.

Agreed, the incident of oil theft is not new in the Niger Delta region. But the authorities of JTF and other authorities concerned must be alive to their responsibilities, so that the region would in the near future be rid of the nefarious act.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Column

Renewable Energy Faces Looming Workforce Crisis

Published

3 weeks ago

on

August 18, 2025

By

Despite a discouraging political climate and unprecedented uncertainty in the United States clean energy sector, low costs of wind and solar energy continue to drive growth of the domestic clean energy sector.
However, while market forces continue to support the expansion of renewable energy capacity, the sector faces critical challenges extending beyond the antagonism of the Trump administration.
The continued growth of solar and wind power risks being hampered by several mitigating factors, including (but not limited to) intensifying competition over increasingly scarce suitable land plots, stressed and volatile global supply chains, lengthy and unpredictable development processes, Complex and overlapping permitting processes, and a critical talent gap.
The renewable energy labor shortage has been years in the making, but is no less closer to resolution. The issue spans both white collar and blue collar positions, and threatens to kneecap progress in the booming sector.
Between the years of 2011 and 2030, it is expected that global levels of installed wind and solar capacity will quadruple. Analysis from McKinsey & Company concludes that “this huge surge in new wind and solar installations will be almost impossible to staff with qualified development and construction employees as well as operations and maintenance workers.
“It’s unclear where these employees will come from in the future,” the McKinsey report goes on to say.
He continued that “There are too few people with specialized and relevant expertise and experience, and too many of them are departing for other companies or other industries.”
The solar and wind industries are suffering from a lack of awareness of career paths and opportunities, despite their well-established presence in domestic markets.
Emergent clean energies face an even steeper uphill battle. Geothermal energy, for example, is poised for explosive growth as one of vanishingly few carbon-free energy solutions with broad bipartisan support, but faces a severe talent gap and punishingly low levels of awareness in potential talent pools.
But while the outlook is discouraging, industry insiders argue that it’s too soon to sound the alarms. In fact, a recent report from Utility Drive contends that “solutions to the energy talent gap are hiding in plain sight.”
The article breaks down those solutions into four concrete approaches: building partnerships with educators, formulating Registered Apprenticeship pathways, updating credential requirements to reflect real-world needs, and rethinking stale recruitment strategies.
Targeting strategic alliances with educational institutions is a crucial strategy for creating a skilled workforce, particularly in emerging sectors like geothermal energy.
Businesses can, for example, partner with and sponsor programs at community colleges, creating a pipeline for the next generation of skilled workers. Apprenticeships serve a similar purpose, encouraging hands-on learning outside of the classroom. Such apprenticeships can apply to white collar positions as well as blue collar roles.
“If we can figure out a way to educate the younger generation that you can actually have a career that you can be proud of and help solve a problem the world is facing, but also work in the extractive industry, I think that could go a long way,” said Jeanine Vany, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Canadian geothermal firm Eavor, speaking about the geothermal energy talent gap.
These approaches won’t solve the talent gap overnight – especially as political developments may discourage would-be jobseekers from placing their bets on a career in the renewables sector. But they will go a long way toward mitigating the issue.
“The clean energy transition depends on a workforce that can sustain it,” reports Utility Drive. “To meet the hiring challenges, employers will benefit from looking beyond the next position to fill and working toward a strategic, industry-wide vision for attracting talent.”
By: Haley Zaremba
Continue Reading

Column

Is It End For Lithium’s Reign As Battery King?

Published

1 month ago

on

August 1, 2025

By

Lithium-ion batteries power the world around us. Their prevalence in our daily life is growing steadily, to the extent that lithium-ion batteries now power a whopping 70 percent of all rechargeable devices.
From electric vehicles to smartphones to utility-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly forming the building blocks of innumerable sectors.
But despite its dominance in battery technologies, there are some serious issues with lithium supply chains that make it a less-than-ideal model upon which to base our world.
Not only is extracting lithium often extremely environmentally damaging, it’s deeply intertwined with geopolitical pressure points. China controls a huge portion of global lithium supply chains, rendering markets highly vulnerable to shocks and the political will of Beijing.
China’s control is particularly strong in the case of electric vehicle batteries, thanks to a decade-long strategy to outcompete the globe.
“For over a decade, China has meticulously orchestrated a strategic ascent in the global electric vehicle (EV) batteries market, culminating in a dominance that now presents a formidable challenge to Western manufacturers,” reports EE Times.
The effect functions as “almost a moat” around Chinese battery production, buffering the sector against international competition.
The multiple downsides and risks associated with lithium and lithium-ion battery sourcing is pushing EV companies to research alternative battery models to power the electric cars of the future.
There are a litany of lithium alternatives in research and development phases, including – but not limited to – lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, sodium nickel chloride, lithium metal polymer, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur, and solid state batteries.
Solid state batteries seem to be the biggest industry darling. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte as a barrier and conductor between the cathode and anode.
These batteries don’t necessarily do away with lithium, but they can eliminate the need for graphite – another critical mineral under heavy Chinese control. Plus, solid state batteries are purported to be safer, have higher energy density, and recharge faster than lithium-ion batteries.
While solid-state batteries are still in development, they’re already being tested in some applications by car companies. Mercedes and BMW claim that they are already road-testing vehicles powered by solid-state batteries, but it will likely be years before we see them in any commercial context.
Subaru is on the verge of testing solid-state batteries within its vehicles, but is already employing a smaller form of the technology to power robots within its facilities.
However, while solid-state batteries are being hailed as a sort of holy grail for battery tech, some think that the promise – and progress – of solid-state batteries is overblown.
“I think there’s a lot of noise in solid state around commercial readiness that’s maybe an exaggeration of reality”, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said during an interview on this week’s Plugged-In Podcast.
Sodium ion batteries are also a promising contender to overtake lithium-ion batteries in the EV sector. Sodium is 1,000 times more abundant than lithium.
“It’s widely available around the world, meaning it’s cheaper to source, and less water-intensive to extract”, stated James Quinn, the CEO of U.K.-based Faradion. “It takes 682 times more water to extract one tonne of lithium versus one tonne of sodium.That is a significant amount.”
Bloomberg projections indicate that sodium-ion could displace 272,000 tons of lithium demand as soon as 2035.
But even this does not signal the death of lithium. Lithium is simply too useful in battery-making. It’s energy-dense and performs well in cold weather, making it “indispensable for high-performance applications” according to EV World.
“The future isn’t lithium or sodium—it’s both, deployed strategically across sectors…the result is a diversified, resilient battery economy.”
By: Haley Zaremba
Continue Reading

Column

Why Oil Prices Could See Significant Upside Shift

Published

1 month ago

on

July 28, 2025

By

The 9th OPEC International Seminar was held in Vienna recently, wherein participants discussed energy security, investment, climate change, and energy poverty, with a particular emphasis on balancing these competing priorities.
According to commodity analysts at Standard Chartered, the summit, titled “Charting Pathways Together: The Future of Global Energy”, featured significantly greater engagement from international oil companies and consuming country governments, with discussions converging on a more inclusive shared agenda rather than non-intersecting approaches seen in previous years.
However, StanChart reported there was a clear mismatch between what energy producers vs. market analysts think about spare production capacity.
Unlike Wall Street analysts, who frequently talk about spare capacity of 5-6 million barrels per day (mb/d), speakers from several sectors of the industry noted that spare capacity is both limited and very geographically concentrated.
StanChart believes this erroneous assumption about spare capacity has been a big drag on oil prices, and the implications for the whole forward curve of oil prices could be potentially profound once traders realize that roughly two-thirds of the capacity they thought was available on demand does not actually exist.
This makes the analysts bullish about the general shape of their forecast 2026 price trajectory (Figure 32), i.e., a set of significant upward shifts as opposed to the flat trajectory seen in the market curve and in analyst consensus.
In other words, oil prices could have as much as $15/barrel upside from current levels.
StanChart is not the only oil bull here. Goldman Sachs recently hiked its oil price forecast for H2 2025, saying the market is increasingly shifting its focus from recession fears to potential supply disruptions, low spare capacity, lower oil inventories, especially among OECD countries and production constraints by Russia.
GS has increased its Brent forecast by $5/bbl to $66/bbl, and by $6 for WTI crude to $63/bbl, slightly lower than current levels of $68.34/bbl and 66.24/bbl for Brent and WTI crude, respectively.
However, the Wall Street bank has maintained its 2026 price forecast at $56/bbl for Brent and $52 for WTI, due to “an offset between a boost from higher long-dated prices and a hit from a wider 1.7M bbl/day surplus.’’ Previously, GS had forecast a 1.5M bbl/day surplus for the coming year.
Further, Goldman sees a stronger oil price rebound beyond 2026 due to reduced spare capacity.
EU natural gas inventories have climbed at faster-than-average clip in recent times. According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data, Europe’s gas inventories stood at 73.10 billion cubic metres (bcm) on 13 July, good for a 2.31 bcm w/w increase.
Still, the injection rate is not enough to completely fill the continent’s gas stores, with the current clip on track to take inventories to about 97.9 bcm, or 84.3% of storage capacity, at the end of the injection season.
Europe’s gas demand remains fairly lacklustre despite extremely high temperatures across much of the continent in recent weeks.
According to estimates by StanChart, EU gas demand for the first 14 days of July averaged 583 million cubic meters/day, nearly 3% lower from a year ago but a 10% improvement from the June lows.
However, StanChart is bullish on natural gas prices, saying the market is likely underestimating the likelihood of more Russian gas being taken off the markets.
Back in April, U.S. senators Lindsey Graham (Republican) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat), introduced “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025”, with the legislation enjoying broad bipartisan support (85 co-sponsors in the Senate out of 100 senators).
In a joint statement on 14 July, the two senators noted that President Trump’s decision to implement 100% secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days but pledged that they will continue to work on “bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas”.
StanChart has predicted that the Trump administration is unlikely to take actions that risk driving oil prices higher. However, Russian gas remains in the crosshairs, with U.S. LNG likely to see a surge in demand if Russian gas exports are curtailed.
StanChart estimates that the EU’s net imports of Russian pipeline gas averaged 79.8 million cubic metres per day (mcm/d) in the first 14 days of July, with all non-transit flows into the EU coming into Bulgaria through the Turkstream pipeline, with Hungary and Slovakia also receiving Turkstream gas.
There was also a flow of about 65 mcm/d of Russian LNG in the first half of July, with Russia providing 18.6% of the EU’s net imports. StanChart has predicted that we could see a strong rally in natural gas prices if Washington slaps Moscow with fresh gas sanctions.
By: Alex Kimani
Continue Reading

Trending