The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has said that the directive by President Bola Tinubu to all stakeholders and the military, along with collaborative efforts, helped ramp up Nigeria’s crude oil production to over 1.6 million barrels per day.
He also said if the collaboration continues, Nigeria can achieve production levels of 2 million to 3 million barrels per day.
He added that the company was actively working toward that goal and was committed to the war against oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO), NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye, stated these on Saturday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement session with journalists covering the National Assembly.
According to him, over 8,000 illegal refineries and 5,800 illegal oil pipeline connections were detected and destroyed in the last six months.
He said: “President Tinubu’s directive to all stakeholders and the military, along with collaborative efforts, has helped increase production to over 1.6 million barrels.
“The NNPC’s declaration of a state of emergency on crude theft, particularly with the establishment of the war room by GCEO Mele Kyari, has significantly mitigated this issue.
“We appreciate the efforts of all private and military security agencies. If this trend continues, we can achieve production levels of 2 to 3 million barrels and we are actively working toward that goal.”
The NNPC Ltd spokesman said that earlier oil production went down to 900,000 barrels per day due to unwholesome activities of some people on oil installations.
He, however, said the menace changed with the involvement of private security agencies and renewed efforts of the military.
“At that time, we felt Nigeria was in trouble as far as oil theft was concerned but the intensity of war against it has allayed our fears,” he added.