Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced plans to deploy drones to monitor the movement of oil bearing vessels across the nation’s waterways.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, explained that from June 2014 to June 2015, Nigeria recorded between 3,400 and 4,000 attacks on its various pipelines, losing over $7billion.
The NNPC boss who spoke at a one-day seminar in Abuja said:“Oil theft is a major issue for us. We lose on average about 50,000 barrels of oil. We lose about $3-$4bn of revenue and that is just in terms of crude oil itself. When you get to pipeline, most of our pipelines are ruptured and attacked fairly frequently. Last year alone, between June 2014 and June 2015, we recorded between 3,400 and 4,000 attacks on the various pipelines in the country. The effect is a shut in of about 250,000 barrels a day and when you calculate that you have a net loss of over $7billion.”
A statement issued by the corporation quoted Kachukwu as saying, “We are launching an armada of approaches, which will include the incorporation of drones to check the movement of vessels within Nigeria’s territorial waters.
“We are looking at the current logistical nightmares of changing staffing at the loading bay of crude oil export terminals virtually every 90 days, we are trying to equip the navy sufficiently though they are very well equipped in terms of skill set but not in terms of arsenal for patrols within the maritime area,” he said”.
Making reference to pipeline protection, the GMD said:”The best security for these pipelines lies with the communities. We are trying to create enough incentives for them to see these pipelines as their own.”
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