The Nigerian National Oil Corporation has announced a target of increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day by the end of the year.
According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the country’s daily production increased to 1.6 million barrels per day in July from 1.27 million barrels in June.
Speaking at a meeting with maritime stakeholders at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters on Tuesday, NNPC Group Managing Director Mele Kyari expressed optimism that the target can be achieved, stressing that NNPC is committed to achieving it.
Pipeline Representing NNPC Managing Director Folorunsho Karim, the oil company chief called on security agencies to continue their efforts against oil theft and pipeline vandalism to help the company achieve its target. “The target is to increase production to 2 million barrels per day by the end of the year and we are committed to achieving this,” he said. We thank the Nigerian Navy for their support in making this possible.
“They have given us a lot of support which has led to a reduction in oil theft. Vandalism on pipelines has also reduced significantly and there is a lot going on in the industry now. We want to sustain this progress to achieve our target of 2 million barrels per day by the end of the year.”
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogara, said Nigeria has faced numerous complex security challenges in recent decades, including acts of violence. Insurgency, oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and piracy/maritime robbery. Ogara added that these issues are driven by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, communal clashes, poverty, and unemployment.
“Traditional ways of dealing with these security challenges have not yielded the desired results. The purpose of the meeting was therefore also to address new security challenges arising from the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
“The Federal Government’s ambition to develop the country’s blue economy requires the support of all stakeholders,” he added.
He explained that the Navy seeks to ensure that its operations do not hinder operators, but instead support them in carrying out their missions and optimal production.
Ogalla said: “Providing security is one way of ensuring ease of doing business because without security operators would not be able to operate.
“We will also seek to ensure that arrests and detentions do not hinder legitimate operators. In case of seizure, we will promptly carry out a preliminary investigation to avoid disruption to operations and release the vessel if the allegations are found to be false. This is our general contribution.
“We want to ensure ease of doing business by ensuring that our operations and patrols do not cause problems for operators. In return, we support them by ensuring protection from criminals who seek to disrupt their business operations in Nigeria.”
