The Community Development Committee of Niger Delta Oil and gas producing area (CDC), has faulted the plans by the federal government, through the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NURPC) which is the regulator in the Nigeria Upstream oil and gas industry to transport crude oil from the production point to export terminal by trucks or Barges other than the well normal pipeline method.
The chairman of the board of trustees of the CDC, Joseph Ambakaderimo said that the idea of barging and trucking of crude oil is a thing of the past, and revealed the discovery they once made that oil was delivered to unknown destination by those who were given the contract to transport it.
The idea as suggested by the agency is archaic and will give room for manipulation and more loss of crude oil, he said.
According to him, “Nigerians have a penchant for abusing processes. The use of pipelines cannot be controverted. It is the most cost effective means of transportation of crude oil and refined products when considering the distance from field of production to export terminals. We are complaining of high cost of production of crude oil as the highest in the world which has become disincentive to attract new investments to the sector, by this suggestion from NUPRC, if implemented it will certainly be a death knell to the sector. We must streamline our measures to align with the President’s executive order recently signed.“
“The recognition of the President to the many issues impeding new investments in the sector is commendable and should be supported by all well meaning Nigerians. If we are giving up on the pipelines then all the agencies of government have failed. The pipelines are the safest for transportation of crude oil and others as of today and in many years to come. What needs to be done is constant enlightenment of the communities of the implications of oil theft on the economy of the nation and the environment,” he said.
