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The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has organized its 2018 annual meeting with major stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, particularly rig owners and operators in the Eastern Zone, with the aim of fashioning out a way of moving the industry forward.
The meeting which was held in Port Harcourt was in line with the traditional annual meeting usually between DPR, as the regulatory agency, and major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry. The meeting serves as platform to identify constraints and also brainstorm on ways to move the industry forward.
DPR’s Zonal Operations Controller, Port Harcourt, Dr. Joseph Ibani Frank-Briggs, in an address, said the year had been challenging for all the stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, noting however that there were also remarkable landmarks recorded by some companies, among which “was Total Upstream, whose steadfast belief and commitment to the Nigerian Project saw to the successful fabrication and subsequent delivery of yet another giant EGINA FPSO.”
He urged other companies to emulate Total, adding that crude oil price has continued to increase globally necessitating increased rig activities both onshore and offshore Nigeria.
The zonal operations controller noted that the DPR as a regulatory body would wish to re-affirm her commitment to ensuring that all companies operating in the zone fully comply with all the statutory requirements and standards in the oil and gas industry.
According to him, the recent rig fire incident which occurred on May 28 2018, in Bayelsa State, at OML 59 has made it imperative on both new entrants and others to imbibe the culture of strict adherence to all applicable laws, especially as they affect their operations.
“On our part, as a regulatory body, we shall continue to monitor your operations to ensure that standards are maintained in line with good oil field practice,” Frank-Briggs noted.
The controller noted that this year’s meeting would harp on noncompliance by companies on non-adherence to the provisions of the petroleum regulations, “we have also observed sadly that there are some companies that still do not help our monitoring efforts. A situation where request for documents are not promptly attended to by some companies or deliberately ignored to frustrate our inspections, makes our job a challenging task. To this end, this office has put in place a mechanism to ensure that defaulting companies are sanctioned.
“To this end, all drilling and operating companies are hereby advised to make safety their watch word and ensure that a good PMS (Preventive Maintenance System) programme is put in place for all their plants and equipment. All companies are reminded that only DPR accredited vendors are qualified to do business in the Nigerian oil and gas companies,” he said.
On their part, some of the stakeholders and operators in the oil and gas industry showered appreciation on DPR as a regulatory body for putting in place such a platform to deliberate on issues as it affects the upstream sectors and to proffer solutions in line with international best practice.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, one of the operators/stakeholders, the chairman of IADC Company, Mr. Mutteei llaibi, said his company would continue to associate with DPR, because of the strategic job they are performing in the oil and gas industry. Also Engr. Ben Njoku, used the occasion to thank the management of DPR Port Harcourt Zone for a job well done. While Mr. Joseph Cookey, the chairman of the local planning committee of the annual meeting said the DPR/rig owners/operators meeting is an annual event that needs serious planning and sponsorship from organizations.
