Oil & Energy
Ogoni Clean-Up: Minister Hands Over Impacted Sites To Contractors
Minister of Environment, Surveyor Suleiman Hassan Zarma, has handed over oil spill impacted sites to successful contractors to herald the commencement of the clean-up of Ogoniland in Rivers State.
Zarma, who handed over the sites in Alode Eleme and Obolo-Ebubu communities in Eleme Local Government Area last Friday, described the event as historic, saying it would mark the commencement of the restoration of the natural environment, including water and vegetation of the highly degraded Ogoniland.
While handing over and presenting the contractors to Alode indigenes at the community’s town hall, the minister charged them to take ownership of the clean-up project, assuring that the contractors would clean-up the polluted sites in accordance with international best standards.
On his part, the Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Marvin Dekil, said the handover of the sites to the contractors had put to rest speculations surrounding the actual time the clean-up proper was going to commence, saying, the contractors underwent rigorous processes before they were selected to carry out the exercise.
The Paramount Ruler of Alode Community, Chief Don Awala thanked the Federal Government, the Ministry, HYPREP and other stakeholders for making the clean-up exercise a reality, assuring that the community would give the contractors 250% support and cooperation to make the exercise highly successful.
He, however, charged the contractors to be sincere and transparent in dealing with the people as well as carry along members of the community in the course of cleaning up the sites.
Representative of the contractors and Managing Director of Earthpro Unique Integrated Limited, Prof. Babatunde Bolaji Benneth, said the companies have all it takes to successfully clean-up the impacted sites, and promised to empower youths of the community by training and involving them in the clean-up exercise.
Earlier, the Minister had paid a courtesy visit to the Paramount Ruler and member of the Board of Trustees of HYPREP, Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi, who stressed the need for HYPREP to provide potable water to Ogoni people and also restore their livelihoods as contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report.
In Obolo-Ebubu Community, the Paramount Ruler of the community, Emere I.O Satoh, who was represented by Chief Osaro Dabo requested for the provision of security in the community, employment of the youths and the need for transparency in the clean-up exercise.
The Minister handed over the clean-up site to representative of the contractors and Managing Director of Basic Nigeria Limited, Mr. Masi Bright, who assured that they would involve the people of the community by training and empowering them.
Donatus Ebi
The Federal Government has offered explanation with regard to recent changes to fuel sulphur content standards for diesel.
The Government said the change was part of a regional harmonisation effort, not a relaxation of regulations for local refineries.
The Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, told newsmen that the move was only adhering to a 2020 decision by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which mandated a gradual shift to cleaner fuels across the region.
Ahmed said the new limits comply with the decision by ECOWAS that mandated stricter fuel specifications, with enforcement starting in January 2021 for non-ECOWAS imports and January 2025 for ECOWAS refineries.
“We are merely implementing the ECOWAS decision adopted in 2020. So, a local refinery with a 650 ppm sulphur in its product is permissible and safe under the ECOWAS rule until January next year where a uniform standard would apply to both the locally refined and imported products outside West Africa”, Ahmed said.
He said importers were notified of the progressive reduction in allowable sulphur content, reaching 200 ppm this month from 300 ppm in February, well before the giant Dangote refinery began supplying diesel.
Recall that an S&P Global report, last week, noted a significant shift in the West African fuel market after Nigeria altered its maximum diesel sulphur content from 200 parts per million (ppm) to around 650 ppm, sparking concerns it might be lowering its standards to accommodate domestically produced diesel which exceeds the 200 ppm cap.
High sulphur content in fuels can damage engines and contribute to air pollution. Nevertheless, the ECOWAS rule currently allows locally produced fuel to have a higher sulphur content until January 2025.
At that point, a uniform standard of below 5 ppm will apply to both domestic refining and imports from outside West Africa.
Importers were previously permitted to bring in diesel with a sulphur content between 1,500 ppm and 3,000 ppm.
It would be noted that the shift to cleaner fuels aligns with global environmental efforts and ensures a level playing field for regional refiners.
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) plc says it has commenced implementation of the April 2024 Supplementary Order to the MYTO in its franchise area while assuring customers of improved service delivery.
The Supplementary order, which took effect on April 3, 2024, emphasizes provisions of the MYTO applicable to customers on the Band A segment taking into consideration other favorable obligations by the service provider to Band A customers.
The Head, Corporate Communications of the company, Olubukola Ilvebare, revealed that under the new tariff regime, customers on Band A Feeders who typically receive a minimum supply of power for 20hours per day, would now be obliged to pay N225/kwh.
“According to the Order, this new tariff is modeled to cushion the effects of recent shifts in key economic indices such as inflation rates, foreign exchange rates, gas prices, as well as enable improved delivery of other responsibilities across the value chain which impact operational efficiencies and ability to reliably supply power to esteemed customers.
“PHED assures Band A customers of full compliance with the objectives of the new tariff order”, he stated.
Ilvebare also said the management team was committed to delivering of optimal and quality services in this cost reflective dispensation.
The PHED further informed its esteemed customers on the other service Bands of B, C D & E, that their tariff remains unchanged, adding that the recently implemented supplementary order was only APPLICABLE to customers on Band A Feeders.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) has announced the signing of an agreement with African Refinery for a share subscription agreement with Port-Harcourt Refinery.
The agreement would see the co-location of a 100,000bpd refinery within the Port-Harcourt Refinery complex.
This was disclosed in a press statement on the company’s official X handle detailing the nitty-gritty of the deal.
According to the NNPCL, the new refinery, when operational, would produce PMS, AGO, ATK, LPG for both the local and international markets.
It stated, “NNPC Limited’s moves to boost local refining capacity witnessed a boost today with the signing of share subscription agreement between NNPC Limited and African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited for the co-location of a 100,000bpd capacity refinery within the PHRC complex.
“The signing of the agreement is a significant step towards setting in motion the process of building a new refinery which, when fully operational, will supply PMS, AGO, ATK, LPG, and other petroleum products to the local and international markets and provide employment opportunities for Nigerians.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu
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