Going by the prevailing exchange rate and average oil price, Nigeria is said to have lost N2.3tn in revenue resulting from pipeline vandalism and the resultant oil theft, which have whittled away the opportunity to produce and sell about 65,700,000 barrels of oil in the last one year.
This was made known by the Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Dr Osagie Okubor at the just concluded Nigerian International Energy Summit held in Abuja.
According to him, the 180, 000 barrels per day Trans Niger Pipeline had remained shut for more than one year- March 2022 to March 2023.
The loss from March last year to March this year brings total shut in/loss to about 65, 700, 000 barrels. Brent crude price averaged about $83 per barrel from March 2022 to March 2023, meaning the country could have lost as much as N2.3tr to the menace.
The TNP, a Joint Venture operated by SPDC is a major pipeline capable of transporting about 180,000 barrels of crude per day to the Bonny export terminal.
Speaking at the NIES, Okunbor said the TNP remained shut for one year due to the massive crude oil theft on the pipeline.
The pipeline, according to Shell, is part of the gas liquids evacuation infrastructure, critical for continued domestic power generation and liquefied gas exports.
He said, “What keeps me awake today as regards my onshore business in Shell is the fact that we cannot operate a pipeline, and that’s what is responsible for the 60 percent capacity. I think today that is almost just how much gas we can supply,” he said.
“And this is because one of our key gas infrastructures — the TNP — was shut down for one year; we removed 460 illegal connections on that line. We just reopened that line. Today we are struggling to catch up with our first programme.”
Okunbor said the loss was often viewed as affecting Nigeria’s oil production quota to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
He stressed that the situation was also having devastating implications on the supply of gas to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas.
“So, if you ask me what the number one issue has to be for the incoming administration, it has to be the security of oil and gas infrastructure. If you don’t fix it, then we have a huge problem on our hands,” Okunbor said.
Okunbor advised the incoming Tinubu administration to prioritise security of oil infrastructure.
