Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. assures the public that there is no imminent increase in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.

The company in a statement signed by its image-maker, Olufemi O. Soneyei,urged Nigerians to disregard unfounded rumours and assures them that there are no plans for an upward review of the PMS price.

“Motorists nationwide are advised against engaging in panic buying, as there is presently ample availability of PMS across the country”,the statement added.

Mohammed Shosanya

Seplat Energy Plc,has announced announce that the ANOH gas plant installation works reached mechanical completion on 29th December 2023, in line with the revised timetable.

The milestone has been achieved without a single recordable Lost Time Incident (LTI) across 11 million man hours, a testament to the focus of the whole team on safe and secure operations,a statement said on Wednesday.

The ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), an incorporated joint venture between Seplat Energy and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) Ltd, is delivering the ANOH gas plant with Phase One processing capacity of 300mmscfd. Upon commencement of operations, the plant will deliver dry gas, condensate, and LPG to customers. It is envisaged that AGPC will sell the gas and LPG domestically, and the condensates to the international market.

The other key steps to first gas, as outlined in the Company’s Interim Results announcement, were the drilling and hook-up of the Upstream wells and completion of essential third-party infrastructure: the OB3 pipeline river crossing and Spur Line connecting OB3 to the gas plant.

Completion of the third well (ASSN-05) was previously announced and the fourth and final well (ASSN-06) planned ahead of first gas has also now been completed by the upstream unit operator, SPDC.

Roger Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, said:”ANOH is an important strategic project for Seplat, it will roughly double our gas production, and we are focused on the path to first gas.Once completed, ANOH will provide two income streams for Seplat: wet gas sales from OML 53 to the gas plant and dividends from the joint venture ANOH Gas Processing Company, which will operate the plant.

“ANOH’s gas will further reduce Seplat’s and Nigeria’s carbon intensity and increase energy supplied to the Nigerian domestic market.”

Mohammed Shosanya

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has said there is still hope that the revoked licence for OML 46 (also known as Atala Oilfield), belonging to Bayelsa State, will be returned to the state.

The Federal Government through the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had in controversial circumstances revoked the licence in April 2020 when another son of the state, Timipre Sylva, was the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

Lokpobiri, during a visit to Governor Douye Diri on Tuesday night, at the Government House, Yenagoa, expressed regrets that the Atala oilfield, a common patrimony of the state, was taken away.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday, quoted the minister as saying he would do everything within his power to bring back the asset.

Lokpobiri explained that his visit was to seek collaboration with the state government to address issues concerning Bayelsa and for the state to reap the dividends of democracy.

He congratulated Diri on his re-election and sought the government’s partnership to curb pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

He said the menace had resulted in the reduction of revenue from the federation account to oil producing states, adding that Bayelsa had zero derivation for about four months in 2023.

Lokpobiri also expressed concern over the level of pollution caused by illegal bunkering activities, noting that if the trend was not checked, it could be an existential threat.

He said, “Bayelsa State is more polluted than Ogoni in Rivers State and we are the only people that can put a stop to it. We need to do something to protect our water and land resources.

“It is also important to note that illegal refineries affect the income of our state. The governor can attest to the fact that derivation money has been dwindling. There was zero derivation for months. We are changing our security architecture to one that could be more effective. So, we need to work together to change the narrative.”

In his response, Diri congratulated Lokpobiri on his appointment and appreciated President Bola Tinubu for appointing a worthy son of Bayelsa as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

He assured the Federal Government of his administration’s preparedness to partner with it to check oil theft and illegal bunkering, which had adversely affected the ecosystem.

He stressed the need to involve governors of the Nigeria Delta states working together to stamp out the menace.

The governor said, “We want to see the positive impact of your office. We are on a new journey to change the trajectory of your office. That is why l am pained that it was in your time that the office was balkanized. Bayelsa has more gas than oil. So we would have been happier if you were presiding over gas as well.

“We need more exchange of ideas. Today, you have given us hope. You have assured me that Atala oilfield will come back to Bayelsa.

“I believe that you will right a lot of wrongs done to our people. No Bayelsa man has an oil mining licence and the only one we had was taken away by our own son.”

Urging Lokpobiri to partner with the state government to explore ways of attracting development to the state, Diri bemoaned the situation where the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company in Bonny, Rivers State, receives 60% of its gas from Bayelsa but the company pays tax to Rivers.

He noted that Bayelsa was deprived of legitimate income and taxes while being erroneously rated as financially insolvent.

He restated his position that the real viability of states can only be determined when the country practises fiscal federalism and resource control.