* Wants pipeline protection in Rivers State
By Ignatius Chukwu
It is clear that pipeline disruption is truly a huge headache in the Niger Delta. This was underlined by the fact that when the managing director of an IOC faced the governor in the region to make a departure wish, he pleaded for removal of the pipeline headache.
Bursting pipelines has caused huge havoc for Nigeria for the Niger Delta. For over 10 months in 2022, oil did not flow through the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline, meaning little or no oil export for the nation.
The NLNG has ceaselessly complained that their supply abroad has been threatened by call off of supplies as products from the pipelines are cut down by one third.
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The managing director and country chair of TotalEnergies Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited, Mike Sangster, has visited the seat of power in Port Harcourt to announce his departure to Gov Siminalayi Fubara.
In the process, the outgoing CEO asked for only one favour; protection of TotalEnergies pipelines in Rivers State.
The company’s major pipeline asset at the moment is the 42-inch, 45 kilometre onshore gas pipeline, spanning Obite, Ubeta and Rumuji communities in Rivers State after the sale of the 3,500 km (2,174 miles) of pipelines connecting to two key crude export terminals in Bonny and the Forcados. The French company has kept oil mining licenses 23 and 28 and its interest in the associated gas pipeline network that feeds Nigeria LNG.
Sangster who commended the state and the governor for the audience, stated that TotalEnergies was one of the major providers of gas for the NLNG, and pointed out that Rivers State is one of its major operational bases. He solicited the support of government to secure its pipeline facilities.
Reacting, Gov Fubara called for stronger economic synergy between International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Government to promote a striving business environment in Rivers State.
The governor assured his guests that his administration would protect economic investments in the state, and maintained that governance is about making the people happy.
“So, we will give you all the necessary support and encouragement, because if you don’t do your business in a conducive and secure environment, you won’t pay us our taxes and the tax is what we use to develop the state,” the governor said.
