Emma Sunday
The federal government has set a new target for increased crude oil production from the initial two million barrels per day to three million barrels per day (BPD) by the end of 2025.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri stated this shortly after flagging off the Operation Delta Sanity 2, at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder Jetty in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Lokpobiri who commended the efforts of the Nigerian Navy in combating crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region, and the the success recorded so far, which has led to the rise of oil production from 1 million barrels to 1.6 to 1.7 million barrels per day, called on stakeholders from the region for including traditional rulers to give the navy the need collaboration.
The Minister expressed optimism that the launch of the Operation Delta Sanity 2, will help in tackling the high rate of illegal oil bunkering activities in the region, especially at the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) which he said has become a major hit for the menace.
Lokpobiri said, “When I became minister we were doing barely a million barrels per day but today, we are doing 1.8 million barrels per day, and our target is to do at least 3 million barrels by this same time in 2025.”
He lauded the efforts of the navy in safeguarding the nation’s critical assets thereby improving the economy of the country through their fight against oil theft, while calling for more support from state governments, in ending oil theft, even as he stressed that state governments are the most beneficiaries of increased oil production because it leads to increased revenue.
According to him, “Sometime last year, the Chief of the Naval Staff invited me to be part of the launch of Operation DELTA SANITY which took place in Delta State and today we are doing it here.
“I am particularly happy about this one because this is where we have the most fundamental problem. This Trans-Niger Pipeline is where we have most of the illegal infractions that we have as far as crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism is concerned.
“I believe that with this development, we will be able to address that problem and that will automatically lead to increase in the number of barrels that we produce and that means more money to enable fund our budget, more money for states, Federal government and Local Governments, more money for the government of President Tinubu to be able to finance the critical infrastructures that we need in our country.
“So this is very fundamental. For we to guide this region enough, the Navy needs the support of other security agencies, including the civilian security and contractors.
“We also need the collaboration of traditional rulers, youth groups, we need all hands of critical stakeholders to support the Nigerian Navy and the Armed Forces to be able to achieve that for the benefit of all of us.”
In his address, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla said the new target of 3-million barrel per day for oil production in 2025 is achievable.
Vice Admiral Ogalla expressed the Navy’s readiness to deploy it’s newly acquired drones, attack helicopters and other technological assets in combating oil theft in the region to a standstill.
He noted that with the drones the military would be able to access difficult terrains in the Niger Delta where illegal oil bunkering are perpetrated.
He said the Operation Delta Sanity, a Special Maritime Security Operation in the Niger Delta was designed to curb oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other crime related activities in the maritime space, for increased economic activities in line with the President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for national economic prosperity and poverty eradication in the country.
The CNS noted that the first phase of the operation recorded significant successes, leading to the arrests of numerous vessels and suspects involved in oil theft, pointing out that it also led to the identification and deactivation of several illegal refining sites.
He said, “The target of 3 million barrels by this time next year is achievable. It is a reality because it is a task that the President himself has directed us to make sure we achieve.
“And if you look at where we were last year, when we launched this operation, we were about 1.4 million barrels, we have gone to 1.8 million. I believe that with all the assets that we are bring on board, particularly our new assets, armed drones, attack helicopters and different other assets that we are bringing on board, including increased intelligence sharing with other agencies we are definitely going to even that target and surpass it. Because it is just a task that we are all committed to.
“In the aspect of our personnel I am going to talk to them right away when I leave here and I will be very sure that many of them are going to work in tandem with our objective of trying to collaborate with other agencies to ensure maximum output.”
He however, noted that there were challenges, which necessitated a rejigging that gave birth to the Operation Delta Sanity II.
“Notwithstanding the successes recorded, the Nigerian Navy intends to rejig the operation DELTA SANITY towards achieving better results.
“Rejigging the operation will involve improved deployment of Maritime Domain Awareness infrastructure, increased aerial surveillance using our newly acquired air assets and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as well as increased intelligence gathering for enhanced situational awareness and efficient maritime security operations.
“It will also incorporate non-kinetic measures to consolidate the successes of previous operations and ensure improved collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in line with the enacted Standard Operating Procedures,” Ogalla said.
“The rejigged efforts are hereby reconstituted under Operation DELTA SANITY II, to further restore sanity to oil and gas exploration activities in the Niger Delta region,” he said.
The CNS therefore charged all participating Commands, Units and Establishments to strive towards realising the desired operational objectives of Operation DELTA SANITY II.
Speaking earlier, the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral, Saheed Akinwande, reeled out the numerous achievements of operation Delta Sanity since it’s launch on January 10, 2024.
He said, “It is worthy of note that since the launch of Operation DELTA SANITY, the operation recorded several successes which led to the arrests of numerous vessels and suspects involved in oil theft. It also led to the identification and deactivation of several illegal refining sites.
“These successes led to significant improvements in legitimate activities in the maritime environment and increased Nigeria’s daily crude oil production, as several oil companies reported 100 per cent terminal factor.
Rear Admiral, Akinwande, noted that the improvement of the operation became necessary following the successes of the earlier edition.
“This is because a whole-of-society approach is required to fight maritime crimes, especially oil theft for increased oil production in Nigeria.”
