Delta Govt Calls for Sustained Pipeline Surveillance to Increase Crude Oil Production

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Delta State Government has called for sustained pipeline surveillance to increase crude oil production.

Special Adviser to Delta State Government on Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Gritson Omatsuli, made the call at a press conference at the weekend convened by Communities Stakeholders Forum to Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in Warri.

He described those calling for the cancellation of the pipelines surveillance services contract as “enemies of the country,” noting that the thrust of the meeting was to appeal to the federal government to allow the PINL to continue with its services of securing the pipelines.

The special adviser appealed to the federal government to allow PINL to continue with the good work following its outstanding performance in securing the national assets.

 PINL, a former Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS) 40, 42, and 30, renders various services across the Niger Delta to operators and key players in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

The indigenous company has been operating since 2017 providing security services in the Trans-Forcados, Escravos-Warri, and OMS 40 (Trans Benin River-Otumara) crude oil pipelines in Delta.

The former commissioner representing the Itsekiri ethnic nationality on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) noted that withdrawal of the surveillance services would amount to encouraging criminalities in the Niger Delta.

According to him, withdrawing the services of the surveillance companies will worsen the pipeline vandalism and by implication reduce revenue accruing to the federal government.

 Also speaking at the event, an opinion leader in the Olero Community in Warri North Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Canaan Ajagbawa, said oil bunkering activities had reduced drastically in communities following the operations of the PINL.

 On his part, the Secretary of the Olero community, Dr. Jeffery noted that the best way to secure pipelines was to involve the communities in their protections, adding that “PINL came with a formula to engage the communities in the job. Most of the workers were community-based.”

Meanwhile, as the battle for the sharing of the pipeline security surveillance contract ranges, an ex-militant group known as Deadly Underdog of Egbema Kingdom (DUEK), has recommended that a leader of the ex-agitators, Aroni Oputu, be given a share of the contract, saying that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) must give the Egbema people their share of the contract to handle.