The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has confirmed that the country’s oil production has risen to 1.6 million barrels per day, a few millions short of the 1.8 million bpd quota allocated by the Oil Producing Countries Organisation (OPEC).
Revealing this at a meeting of stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, called to discuss the challenges of crude oil theft and losses affecting the oil and gas industry, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, said that the rectangular security approach, comprising NNPC and Partners, Regulators, Government Security Operators and the Communities, boosted by the adoption of technology, ensured the recovery of production from what it was in July 2022 to 1.67 million barrels per day.
Kyari, who was represented by the NNPCL Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, at the event chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the implementation of the Detect, Deter, Destroy, and Recover (3D strategy), the establishment of the Central Command and Control Centre for effective monitoring and coordination, the launch of the Whistle-Blowers Portal and the Crude Oil Validation Portal as well as the deployment of some of the best-in-class surveillance tools and technology have been a game changer in the fight against crude oil theft and vandalism.
The NNPCL boss stated that a key element of the collaboration has been the onboarding of the Private Security Contractors from the host communities, which were hitherto isolated.
He said the security contractors’ in-depth knowledge of the terrain and modus operandi of the criminals have led to massive discoveries of illegal connections and interception of vessels ferrying stolen crude oil.
