Oil Will Remain Relevant in Global Energy Mix, Says Shell Boss

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Crude oil as a major component of the global and local energy mix, will continue to remain relevant in the medium term, but expectations on the commodity have gradually changed, the Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor has disclosed.

Okunbor stated this in an interview, in the July 2018 edition of the KPMG Nigeria CEO Outlook.
“Oil will remain a relevant component of global energy mix, and even more so for Nigeria, over the next 10 to 15 years, if not more,” Okunbor said.

According to him, “The mix will not radically change. What is clear is that society expects low-carbon footprints going into the future. I think that is key and everyone, particularly those who are as big as Shell, understands that and will work with society to change.

“We are cutting our carbon footprint by a significant proportion going forward, not just in terms of what we directly produce, but also our usage and our by-products.
“This requires that we continue to refine our systems and processes to ensure that the carbon intensity of our production continues to go down.”

He equally explained that Shell would significantly leverage technology and digitisation to further enhance its business systems, processes and operations in Nigeria, indicating the company had pioneered and continued to lead in technological breakthroughs in Nigeria’s oil industry.

“We are a part of a global business and in our sector, what differentiates us is how we commercialise technology and grow top and bottom line with technology. We pioneered deep-water exploration and production in Nigeria. We continue to push boundaries and Shell in Nigeria takes maximum advantage of the technological and digital capabilities of the Shell Group,” he said.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had predicted that in 10 years times he would be surprised to see oil remaining as a major revenue source for countries rich in the commodity.

Kachikwu, had stated then that, while European countries were moving rapidly towards using electric vehicles and cutting down their reliance on crude oil, countries like Nigeria would have to be fast to diversify their economy and revenue from oil. He added that oil would at best be useful for powering the local economies of countries like Nigeria but no longer a revenue source.