The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NURPC) has assured that its policy document to facilitate emission reduction and mitigation targets is underway.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Gbenga Komolafe, gave the assurance during a press conference to commemorate its first anniversary in Abuja.
He said: “This policy document which is to enable the Commission drive emission reduction and mitigation targets of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) will be approved and launched within the shortest practicable time.”
According to him, the NURPC is collaborating with a number of relevant agencies to undertake projects in the area of Climate Change/Green House Gas (GHG) emissions management, including supporting the review and assessment of the national GHG emissions as part of series of workshops that led to revision of the Nationally Determine Contributions (NDCs) policy.
He recalled that it was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ahead of 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) summit in Glasgow, Scotland 2021.
leum Exporting Countries 1.8million barrels per day quota for Nigeria noted that the country would surpass it to produce 2ml/d.
He said: “Our projection is we could actually come back to hit over 2million barrels a day as a nation. That is meeting and surpassing our OPEC quota. We feel that is possible and we are quite committed to that as a commission.”
He noted that one of the measures to raise production is to reopen and produce 500,000mb/d from presently shut-in-wells.
He also noted that the nation would be harvesting about 400,000mb/d from the re-streaming of Forcados terminal.
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The NURPC boss added that what the country has been losing to crude oil theft on daily basis is about 80,000mb to 100,000mb.
He revealed that criminal activities have depressed Nigeria crude oil production to about 1.1mb/d.
Komolafe said his engagements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and operators of the shut-in-wells have been positive and reassuring that the commission can harness the above measures to beef up the country crude oil production to surpass the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota.
He explained that the wells were shut-in to reduce production beneficial to criminals.
“That exercise revealed that you have about 1.2mb of oil that are shut-in consistently as a result of the impact of crude oil theft, according to the CEO.
Komolafe, who said that the commission has done a feasibility study on what to expect from operators in terms of production, added that it has also raised a committee to examine the reopening of the shut-in- Wells.
He insisted that the country now has the capacity to meet its OPEC quota.
“What the commission is doing to beef up the volume of production that has actually depressed to a neighbourhood of about 1.1mb/d that we are currently witnessing,” he said.
Komolafe noted that the commission has been making efforts at enhancing gas supply by encouraging production of associated gas.
He said the effort would boost gas production.
According to him, the menace of crude oil theft is the worst challenge the commission has experienced so far.
Komolafe said the NURPC has laid a solid foundation for regulatory functions and in pursuing that, it has drafted Environmental Remediation Fund Regulation and the Upstream Environmental Regulation and Upstream Petroleum Safety Regulation, both of which have been subjected to stakeholder review in line with the PIA (2021).
The Commission, he said, also successfully launched the Host Communities Regulations to guide the implementation and operationalisation of the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), as also enshrined in the PIA.
He noted that the Commission is putting in place modalities to ensure the smooth take-off of the various Trusts in a timely manner.
In the area of Development and Production, the Commission has within the past one year achieved, among others, “Declaration of the nation’s reserves which stands at Oil and Condensate Reserves: 37.046 MMMB, this indicates an increase of 0.37per cent compared to 2020 figures. Komolafe noted that “Life index stands at 60 years. Gas Reserves: 208.62 TCF, this indicates an increase of 1.01per cent compared to 2020 figures. Life index stands at 88 years.
“Automation of Upstream work processes is almost completed. It is planned to improve the efficiency of our work processes and become operational before the end of year 2022.”
He recalled that Ikike first oil was officially celebrated in September 2022. It is expected to deliver peak production of 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2022.
Continuing, he said: “Deployment and commissioning of Aiteo 120kbd barge mounted crude oil processing Facility to minimise crude oil theft and vandalism on the NCTL.
“Deployment and commissioning of Tenoil 10kbd Early Production Facility (EPF) increased crude oil daily production by 10kbd. Regularization and commissioning of Halkin 5kbd EPF at Atala OML-46.
“Inauguration of an integrated industry-wide study to ascertain shut-in wells that can be reactivated in the short, medium, and long-term. The primary aim is to boost production and guide investment planning.
“In addition, the study aims to optimize recovery factor via identification of EOR/IOR candidate wells and recommend low hanging potentials to boost National production. The study has been concluded and is in the report writing stage.
“Development of the Advanced Cargo Declaration Regime, and Crude oil and LNG Tracking (COLT) are also in process.
“Granted 274 export permits for a total of 480,863,863 barrels of crude oil/condensate/EGTL between Q4 2021 and Q3 2022.Completed establishment of ELI-AKASO crude oil export terminal.
Publishing of up-to-date data on National Crude oil production on the Commission’s website has ensured transparency of data and information. It has provided accurate volume to both internal and external users.”