The Oredo Integrated Gas Handling Facility (IGHF) in Edo State has been completed and is expected to supply gas to the National Independent Power Projects (NIPPs). Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources commended Mr. Clifford ...
The Renewable Energy Global Status report showed that by the end of 2011, total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1,360 Giga Watt (GW), up to 8 per cent over what it was in 2010. The report added that renewable energy supply constituted more ...
The Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) management board says it has started the electronic loading of trucks in the petroleum downstream sector. Mr Goddy Nnadi, General Manager, Corporate Services, PEF, made this known in an interview with the News Agen...
The pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS) will not be increased in January, the Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr Fidel Pepple, has assured.
He gave the assurance on Sunday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen, restating that the Federal Government had earmarked some money for fuel subsidy in the 2013 budget.
Pepple also announced that the vandalised Ije-Ododo and Arepo pipelines in Lagos and Ogun had been restored.
“I can affirm to you that our engineers from the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC) have finally fixed the Ije-Ododo pipeline that was ruptured last Monday by pipeline vandals.
"Going forward, the good news for Nigerians is that we have resumed pumping petroleum products through the pipeline and system 2B is equally working after the restoration of the pipeline," he said.
Pepple assured motorists that with the restoration of the Ije-Ododo pipeline and the NNPC system 2B pipeline, normalcy had been restored in the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.
The general manager said that pumping of the PMS had resumed in earnest to depots and tank farms in system 2B, spanning from Atlas-Cove in Lagos to Ilorin in Kwara.
He described media reports that fuel scarcity and queues in some parts of the country might last beyond the New Year as “mischievous and misleading”.
Pepple said that that the NNPC was working hard to check fuel scarcity and eliminate queues at filling stations across the country.
He attributed the long queues at filling stations to the activities of vandals and the closure of some filling stations, due to the Christmas holidays.
The spokesman said that the company had product sufficiency that could sustain the country for more than a month.
He said the NNPC was working hard to supply PMS so as to ease the hardship of motorists before and after the New Year.
Pepple appealed to independent marketers to stop diverting petroleum products to the black market, saying that sanctions would be meted out to culprits.
The general manager stressed the need for marketers to team up with the NNPC in ensuring steady supply and distribution of petroleum products.
He also called on motorists to desist from panic buying and hoarding as the NNPC was doing its utmost to restore normalcy in the supply and distribution chain.
The Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) has embarked on sensitisation of people in its catchment areas on the dangers of pipeline vandalism.
The Deputy Manager, Community Relations of the company, Mrs Edith Johnson, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eleme, near Port Harcourt, Rivers, on Friday.
Johnson said that vandalism seemed to be on the increase, explaining that the high rate prompted the refinery to embark on the campaign.
She enumerated the dangers of pipeline vandalism as pipeline fire, pollution of the environment, loss of lives and economic sabotage.
Johnson said that the enlightment campaign would be carried out at Okrika, Eleme, Port Harcourt Depot areas, trailer parks and other flash points in the area.
Also speaking with NAN, the PHRC Deputy Manager, Safety, Mr Uche Nna, said the organisation had been engaging the host communities on pipeline safety.
Nna said that the company had set up a surveillance team to police the areas. ``Even at that, the rate of vandalism is still very high.
I can speak that between PHRC pipeline outlets through Okrika to Jetty; so sometimes, we have several breakages daily.
``The Local Government chairman (Okrika) has been doing so well recently, trying to ensure that structures that are along that line are being cleared,'' he said.
Nna said that some people had built structures along the pipelines where they could easily lay pipes underneath to tap oil unnoticed.
He said that the company had many pipelines passing through the community to the jetty where the bulk production of oil was pumped into ships.
Nna said that the pipeline Right of Way (ROW), established by Gov. Chibiuke Amaechi was another measure to check pipeline vandalism.
He said that the ROW involved PHRC, Shell, AGIP and other companies that had their pipelines running through the 23 Local Government Areas with the state's Ministry of Environment coordinating.
``We have got to a stage where we identify and mark those structures so that as soon as the State Government comes in with the chairman of the Local Government area, we will remove those structures.
``As we are removing the structures, then the oil companies will quickly recover their right of way,`` Nna said.
He said that apart from the fact that the pipelines were vandalized; the vandalism could clear a whole community.
``Once they vandalize the pipeline, if there is no fire coming from dowser strikes or coming from any other source of fire, all the materials, that is, the petroleum products, will find their way to the aquifer.
``As soon as they found their way to aquifer, the eco-system is altered, you will have the underground water contamination, you will have soil pollution.
``And to remediate and recover those surfaces and take them out of the water is quite a lot.
``And if care is not taken and it gets down to Bonny Basin, that means the whole place is real issue, so it is a real concern,`` Nna said.
The management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Tuesday assured Nigerians of steady and regular electricity supply.
Mr Jonathan Ndiagwaralukwe, the Executive Director (Systems Operations) of the TCN, gave the assurance in Abuja, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
``We are promising steady electricity not only during the Yuletide but also throughout the year; we are moving the sector forward.
``We are saying Nigerians deserve steady electricity supply and one of the cardinal points of this government is regular power day or night.
``All the efforts made in the past to improve the sector are gradually yielding fruits; we expect that the tempo would be sustained because all the investments made in the rehabilitation of power stations, transmission lines and even in power distribution are coming on-stream.
``Also, new projects are being inaugurated, especially the National Integration Power Projects (NIPPs) and new power stations.
``As regards steady gas supply to our thermal stations, which has remained a thorny issue; there is an improvement. Power stations are now getting gas and new NIPPs are coming on-stream,’’ he said
Ndiagwaralukwe reiterated that electricity supply would henceforth be stable and regular in the country, as the TCN had put requisite facilities in place to facilitate steady power supply.
He said that the TCN had installed new electricity transformers across the country, while reinforcing existing power transmission lines.
He stressed that the power sector was being overhauled via sustained investments in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, adding that this would enhance power supply to the people considerably.
Ndiagwaralukwe, however, urged electricity consumers to settle their bills promptly and regularly, particularly now that electricity supply situation had improved appreciably.
He, nonetheless, bemoaned the attitude of some people who burned bushes where PHCN’s installations were located, adding that some individuals were even fond of excavating sand near PHCN's facilities.
Ndiagwaralukwe stressed the bush burning and excavation of sand near PHCN’s facilities could endanger power supply and cause blackouts for the citizens.
He urged all Nigerians to vigilantly guard all PHCN facilities in their neighbourhoods, while reporting any act of vandalism to the police.
The management of PHCH EKO Electricity Distribution Company of Nigeria, on Tuesday appealed to electricity consumers within its zone to pay their outstanding bills to enable the station to discharge its duties effectively.
Mr Oladele Amoda, the Chief Executive Officer of the zone told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that consumers should assist the company in its efforts to provide stable and efficient power supply.
He said electricity supply had been stable in the zone due to the Federal Government's effort at ensuring adequate supply of gas and effective rehabilitation of power plants nationwide.
Amoda stressed that it would be difficult for PHCN to continue its operation in an environment where there was no corresponding response to investments and services rendered.
He said the zone invested so much in all the units under its network to sensitise customers to the need for the settlement of their debts ``so that the money would be returned to the source’’.
He said PHCN had no other source of funds, adding that increasing debts would impede its development in the areas.
He noted the cost of capacity improvement for the Agbara 132/33/11KV station from 90MVA to 150MVA and the creation of another 33KV and 11KV feeders meant to relieve the Badagry 33KV feeder, was quite enormous.
He assured the public that as gas supply continued to improve and more National Integrated Power Projects came on stream, the transmission and distribution companies would continue to harness available generation.
Amoda said: ``our doors are open for you to bring your complaints with the assurance of prompt response. We urge you not to relate with touts and encourage you to report any identified PHCN worker who attempts to extort money or asks for gratification from you,’’
He, however, gave the assurance of constant supply to customers during the Christmas season.
Amoda appealed to customers within the zone’s network to cooperate with the company to ensure adequate and prompt protection of electricity installations against vandalism.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria recently said that the country's generation hit 4,500 Megawatts, which was attributed to President Goodluck Jonathan's promise to improve power delivery to Nigerians.
The Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) says security agencies have promised to deploy massive securities personnel to all petroleum pipelines across the country to curb vandalism. PPMC’s Manager, Public Affairs and External Relations, Mr...
The NNPC has assured that ongoing repairs at the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) will be completed soon to address the fuel scarcity in some parts of the country. Mr Fidel Pepple, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of t...
The New owners of the Eko and Ikeja Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are to benefit from the over 1,214 installed Low Voltage Distribution Transformers (LVDT) being installed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in Lagos and its environs. Ac...
Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, has tasked the Hydro-carbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HYPREP) to fast track the cleanup of oil spills in the Niger Delta. The minister gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja at a mee...
Following the deluge of customer complaints on excessive estimated billing, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) to organise sensitisation workshops for their staff in order to a...
There was an open argument over completion date for the construction of 3050 megawatts (MW) Mambilla hydro plant and 700MW Zungeru hydro plant, between the federal government and its contracting partners, Sinohydro Corporation and China National Electr...
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, says that the Federal Government will implement the White Paper on the reports of the task forces set up on the petroleum industry. The minister gave the assurance in Abuja on Friday duri...
The management of NNPC has dissociated itself from the allegation of exporting crude oil using forged export clearance permit. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Fidel Pepple, the acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the ...