Petroleum Ministry expands reserves, production and frontier of exploration.

[FMINigeria]

                        "Over the past two years, the Petroleum Ministry has delivered on the Nigerian President's Transformation Agenda in key strategic growth areas – increased reserves and production as well as increased the frontier of exploration". 

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alison Madueke revealed this to the nation at the 2013 Ministerial Platform held at the National Press Centre, Abuja, Tuesday, 23 July, 2013.

In her presentation entitled, "Moving the oil and gas sector to the next level", the Petroleum Minister, mentioned that upgrade of the data processing centre (DPC); growing the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company-operated production; growing reserves due to asset transfer, as well as sustaining production amidst vandalism and crude theft.

She added that Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total and Agip's divestment and transfer of Government equity to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NDPC) created opportunity for the involvement of the Nigerian upstream companies. She said Shell, Total and Agip divested eight blocks comprising OMLs 4, 38 & 41 – Seplat, OML 26 – First Hydrocarbon, OML 30 – Heritage, OML 34 – Niger Delta, OML 40 – Elcrest and OML 42 – Neconde.

According to the Minister, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company's wholly owned auxiliary was assigned all of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's equity in Shell Petroleum Development Company's divested blocks, so as to help grow NPDC- operated production.

"There was increase in domestic utilization of upstream and midstream gas supply, aimed at linking gas to the wider economy through emergency gas supply initiatives and aggressive gas pipeline expansion under the gas agenda policy.

There was also the construction of the Oben – Lagos pipeline; development of midstream oil refineries; geotechnical surveys at Ogidigben Industrial City and gas supply to the non-power sector to enable compressed gas use", she said.

To sustain internal country product supply, Alison Madueke disclosed that the Ministry engaged the development of midstream oil infrastructure; instituted refinery rehabilitation programs; eliminated the external wall of the vapourising bank and refurbished the crude tank in the Port Harcourt Refinery Company.

She averred that to sustain product supply through facility upgrade in the mmidstream oil ventures, efforts were made to increase Nigerian content and sustainable local capacity as well as participation of Nigerians in the oil and gas industry. She further noted that facility content was upgraded to 100% local materials and NNPC branded trucks provided for the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company.

Madueke added that capacity building was embarked on at the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Ekowe in Bayelsa State and this has generated up to 30,000 jobs and positively expanded home-based delivery strings.

Regarding hydrocarbon pollution restoration purposed at making provisions for hydrocarbon infected communities, the Minister disclosed that four petroleum special forces were established to support Government's efforts on change and transparent regulatory frameworks as well as bring commercial viability and sustainable competition to the oil and gas industry. This, she added, has reduced petroleum product import and introduced new accomplishments to mid-stream gas progression and infrastructure development.

Print PDF                                             

Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria