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Tag: Dr. Maikanti Baru

  • Kachikwu writes Buhari, protests award of $25b contracts by NNPC GMD

    Kachikwu writes Buhari, protests award of $25b contracts by NNPC GMD

    A crisis of confidence has erupted in the oil and gas sector between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Edmund Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru.

    The minister also accused the GMD of awarding $25billion contracts without consulting either his office or the NNPC Board.

    He accused Baru of alleged insubordination, lack of adherence to due process and running a “bravado management style.”

    Kachikwu said he was being sidelined by the GMD and other heads of parastatals on major decisions and appointments.

    He asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the NNPC chief to order to ensure due process and transparency in the oil and gas sector.

    He also presented five prayers to President to save the oil sector from collapse.

    The minister said he was always blocked from seeing the President.

     

  • Oil production dips to 1.3mbd over vandalism – NNPC

    Oil production dips to 1.3mbd over vandalism – NNPC

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said that an average of 700,000bpd of crude oil was deferred in 2016 due to pipeline sabotage, saying this brought Nigeria’s production down to as low as 1.3 million barrels per day from 2.2 million barrels targeted for the period.

    The NNPC GMD, who stated this in a keynote address at the maiden edition of the Nigerian International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS 2017) in Abuja Wednesday, said Year-To-Date 2017, NNPC had recorded twenty–seven (27) breaching incidents on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), adding that for the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) with a capacity of 300,000bpd, seventeen (17) breaches were recorded in 2016.

    He declared that Year-To-Date 2017, NNPC had suffered at least fifteen (15) breaching incidents on the TFP, while charging members of the Pipeline Professionals’ Association of Nigeria (PLAN) to conduct a systematic diagnosis of the pipelines system in Nigeria and come up with sustainable and actionable solutions to the menace of pipeline vandalism in the country.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement yesterday. 

    He urged all key players to rally round the Pipeline Professionals to proffer solutions to the pipeline vandalism challenge as it posed a great threat to the Nigerian economy in terms of revenue loss and environmental degradation.

    The statement quoted Baru as saying that: “The foregoing summarizes the effect of pipeline vandalism and therefore underscores the importance of protecting our pipeline system and treating them as National Assets… On the strength of that, we must endeavor to carry out a systematic diagnosis and proffer workable, practicable and actionable solutions that will guarantee sustainability of pipeline infrastructure.”

    He listed some of the measures deployed by NNPC to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism to include: Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology to bury pipelines deeper to prevent easy accessibility; technology-based pipeline surveillance mechanism with capability to detect, alert and deny access; and aerial monitoring and marine patrols by the Military Joint Tax Force (JTF).

    Dr. Baru further said government was working out a political solution to the socially-induced-agitation sabotage while the law enforcement agencies had been empowered to deal with those who engage in pipeline vandalism out of criminality such as oil theft.

    Speaking earlier on the significance of the conference, Chairman of PLAN, Engr. Geoff Onuoha, said considering the critical role of pipelines to the entire value chain of the oil and gas industry, there was need for a forum like NIPITECS to bring professionals and stakeholders together to brainstorm and share knowledge and technology.

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, who also spoke at the occasion, said the Board was working hard to boost local production of pipes, adding that its efforts were already yielding dividends as Nigeria now has two world class pipe mills in full operation.

    On his part, the Director General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Engr. Chidi Izuwah, challenged industry players to tap into the opportunities in Public Private Partnership (PPP) to boost pipeline and other infrastructures in the country.

  • NNPC moves to safeguard pipelines

    NNPC moves to safeguard pipelines

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has marked its pipelines to avert vandalism and fire outbreaks to sustain the current steady supply of petroleum products nationwide.

    The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, said this while receiving a delegation of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, (OSHA) UK, Nigeria Chapter, at the NNPC Towers, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    In a statement by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Baru said the corporation would continue to monitor its pipelines and collaborate with the law enforcement agencies to safeguard such critical national asset.

    He said that in line with safety standards, NNPC pipelines right-of-way across all locations were clearly marked to keep the public away from the facilities so that they do not come to harm.

    ”In our various pipelines running across several kilometers and locations, right-of-way is indicated to show that people should not tamper with the facility because of the danger that is involved.

    ”This is done to ensure that when there is safety breach, we have access to the affected spot and intervene accordingly.

    ”We will use this opportunity to call on pipeline vandals to please keep away from our pipeline because they are not carrying liquid that can easily be handled like water.

    ”We are calling on the general public that when they see the sign on the pipeline, they should not tamper with it in their own interest and that of the nation,” Baru said.

    He said any vandal would be handed over to law enforcement agents to face appropriate sanctions, adding that in the Port-Harcourt–Aba pipeline incident, one suspect was apprehended and handed over to the authorities.

    Baru urged members of the public to support NNPC by reporting any suspicious activity around pipelines and other oil and gas facilities, stressing that the Corporation, on its own part, would do everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property around its facilities.

    Speaking , the leader of the delegation and Regional President of OSHA, Nigeria Branch, Dr Dalhatu Ahmed, stated that the purpose of the visit was to carry Baru along in the drive to ensure safety of workers and equipment in view of the position occupied by the NNPC as one of the largest employer of labour in the country and major revenue-earner.

    Ahmed lauded the NNPC boss for his numerous initiatives at ensuring the safety of staff and assets across the corporation’s value chain.

    “I want to commend the efforts of the GMD as far as safety of lives and property is concerned in the corporation.

    ”It is interesting to see that the NNPC has done a lot in terms of safety. Safety is everybody’s business as it is a multi-dimensional issue that requires multi-dimensional approach,” Dalhatu said.

    Baru and the NNPC General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment, Mr Ahmed Shehu were conferred with fellowship of the association.

  • Vandalism: NNPC scales up security on pipelines 

    Vandalism: NNPC scales up security on pipelines 

    In its determination to ensure that the current steady supply of petroleum products nationwide is sustained, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has intensified efforts to safeguard its pipeline from vandals and fire outbreaks in line with best safety practices.

    The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who disclosed this while receiving a delegation of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, (OSHA) UK, Nigeria Chapter, at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, said the Corporation, would continue to monitor its pipelines and collaborate with the law enforcement agencies to safeguard such critical national asset.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement Tuesday.

    The GMD said that in line with safety standards, NNPC pipelines right-of-way across all locations had been clearly indicated to keep members of the public away from the facilities so as not to come to harm.

    “In our various pipelines running across several kilometers and locations, right-of- way is indicated to show that people should not temper with the facility because of the danger that is involved. This is done to ensure that when there is safety breach, we have access to the affected spot and intervene accordingly,” the GMD stated.

    He disclosed that an attack on the Port Harcourt – Aba a few days ago resulted in massive products loss and damage to the environment, adding that though there was no loss of lives in the incident, it took much effort and time to bring the huge fire that broke out under control.

    “We will use this opportunity to call on pipeline vandals to please keep away from our pipeline because they are not carrying liquid that can easily be handled like water. We are calling on the general public that when they see the sign on the pipeline, they should not temper with in their own interest and that of the nation,” Dr. Baru pleaded.

    He said the Corporation would stop at nothing to ensure that the pipelines were continuously monitored and that anybody caught trying to sabotage oil facilities would be handed over to the law enforcement agency to face appropriate sanctions, adding that in the Port-Harcourt – Aba pipeline incident one suspect was apprehended and handed over to the authorities.

    Dr. Baru urged members of the public to support NNPC by reporting any suspicious activity around pipelines and other oil and gas facilities, stressing that the Corporation, on its own part, would do everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property around its facilities.

    Shedding light on NNPC’s safety practice, the GMD said that in view of the complex and technical nature of its operations, the Corporation accords safety a special priority.

    “We are very much determined to ensure that our processes and procedures meet the highest safety standard. Dealing with inflammable liquids and gasses requires utmost care. Our watchword to ensure that is: Safety to one is safety to all; that defines how we handle safety issues,” the GMD said.

    He said NNPC held HSE Week annually across its subsidiaries to sensitise personnel, contractors and visitors on the need to adhere strictly to its safety standards, adding that the Corporation’s safety policies and procedures were reviewed regularly to comply with the highest safety standards.

    Speaking at the event, the leader of the delegation and Regional President of OSHA, Nigeria Branch, Dr. Dalhatu Mohammed Ahmed, stated that the purpose of their visit was to carry the GMD along in their drive to ensure safety of workers and equipment in view of the position occupied by the NNPC in the Nigerian economy as one of the largest employer of labour in the country and major revenue earner.

    Dr. Ahmed applauded the GMD for his numerous initiatives to ensure safety of staff and assets across the corporation’s value chain.

    “I want to commend the efforts of the GMD as far as safety of lives and property is concerned in the corporation. It is interesting to see that the NNPC has done a lot in terms of safety. Safety is everybody’s business as it is a multi-dimensional issue that requires multi-dimensional approach,” Dr. Dalhatu averred.

    The GMD and the NNPC General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment, Mr. Ahmed Shehu were conferred with a fellowship of the association.

  • NNPC, ExxonMobil fine-tune strategy for improved production

    NNPC, ExxonMobil fine-tune strategy for improved production

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream joint venture partner, ExxonMobil, are seeking new measures to expand existing operational portfolio with a view to increasing crude oil production and availability of gas for power generation.

    Speaking in Abuja after a meeting with a high-powered ExxonMobil delegation led by Mr. Jack Williams, Senior Vice-President of the United States-based global oil Corporation, Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the joint venture with ExxonMobil, which until recently was the highest producer of crude oil in the country, was primed to make a rebound.

    He said the Corporation had advanced talks with ExxonMobil on major operational issues like improved drilling to increase production and refurbishment of crude oil pipelines as well as supply of gas to the planned Qua Iboe Independent Power Plant among others.

    Baru, according to the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu’s statement Thursday said: “More importantly we also discussed their recommitment to supply gas to the domestic market and this is something that is very positive and they are willing; we would quickly roll-out the programme to ensure that sufficient gas comes in for the IPP. We also secured a commitment from them to end gas flare at QIT and other production areas.”

    Describing the meeting as very fruitful, Williams on his part noted that ExxonMobil was committed to growing its production in Nigeria ’’safely and with much integrity’’.

    To underscore its aspiration for growth in production, Williams hinted that ExxonMobil was set to increase its JV budget for 2018 operations.

  • Major shake-up in NNPC

    Major shake-up in NNPC

    • Roland Ewubare heads NAPIMS

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday announced a major management shake-up that culminates in the appointments and redeployment across the value chain.

    The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, told NNPC staff shortly before the announcement was made public that the new appointments would not only help to position the Corporation for the challenges ahead but would help fill the gaps created due to statutory retirements of staff. A total of 55 top management staff were affected in the exercise.

    According to a statement of the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who made the disclosure in a statement, under the new arrangement, Roland Ewubare, formerly MD of the Integrated Data Services Limited, (IDSL) moves to the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, (NAPIMS) as the new Group General Manager while Diepriye Tariah, former GGM and Senior Technical Assistant to the NNPC GMD takes over from Ewubare as MD of IDSL.

    The statement reads in part: “Malami Shehu, Executive Director Operations, of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, KRPC, was appointed Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC while Adewale Ladenegan, former MD of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC was moved to KRPC to assume duty as MD.

    “In the same vein, Muhammed Abah, until recently, the Executive Director Operations of WRPC succeeds Ladenegan as MD of Warri Refinery.

    “With the retirement of Alh. Farouk Ahmed as the MD of the Nigerian Products Marketing Company, (NPMC), Umar
    Ajiya, former GGM incharge of Corporate Planning and Strategy, (CP&S) now assumes duty as MD of NPMC while

    “Bala Wunti, former, General Manager, Downstream, GMD’s Office takes charge as GGM CP&S.
    Other changes include: Usman Yusuf who takes over as GGM/STA to the GMD, Adeyemi Adetunji confirmed as MD NNPC Retail alongside Dr. Bola Afolabi who now functions as GGM in charge of Research and Development Division of the Corporation.

    “Also on the list is Mrs. Ahmadu-Katagum appointed GGM (Shipping) in the Downstream Autonomous Business Unit while Kallamu Abdullahi takes over as the GGM in charge of the Renewable Energy Division in the Downstream ABU.
    Dr. Shaibu Musa was promoted MD of the NNPC Medical Services Limited while Ibrahim Birma is the new GGM in charge of the Corporation’s Audit Division now renamed Governance, Risk and Compliance Division.”

  • NNPC to indigenous firms: Bid for 30 marginal fields

    NNPC to indigenous firms: Bid for 30 marginal fields

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has urged members of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) to participate in the forthcoming bid round for about 30 marginal oil fields which would soon be flagged off by the Federal Government.

    The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, gave this charge when he received a delegation of IPPG led by its chairman, Engr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, where he also urged them to take advantage of the low crude oil price regime to develop their capacity and acquire technology.

    Dr. Baru stated that there were lots of opportunities in the marginal fields which would soon be available urging the IPPG to work hand-in-hand with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to ensure that they met the conditions that would be required from bidders.

    NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu that made this disclosure in a statement Friday, quoted Baru as saying that: “The marginal oil field lease renewal is an opportunity for your group. You will need to engage the DPR early in discussion to find out the conditions that the Federal Government is interested in. For example, the supply of gas to power plants and fertilizer plants and I think your group will be successful.”

    The NNPC GMD also tasked the IPPG members to ramp up their collective production from 10 per cent of national production to fifty per cent in the next 10 years in order to increase the footprint of indigenous companies in the upstream sub-sector as is the case in the downstream.

    The NNPC helmsman stated that the Corporation was passionate about collaborating with the indigenous producers in order to grow their capacity and participation in the exploration and production sub-sector in line with government’s local content policy.

    He said the Corporation was very proud of them and was looking forward to a time when about ninety per cent of upstream operations in the country would be controlled by them.

    Baru applauded members of the group for their productive community engagement which had stemmed the incidence of pipeline sabotage along the Trans Forcados Pipeline and enjoined them to extend similar gesture to the communities around the other crude oil lines to help stabilize national production.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Group, Engr. Adeyemi-Bero, who made a presentation to the NNPC management, said the group was made up of twenty five active indigenous producers and driven by the passion to support the 12 Business Focus Areas of the current management of NNPC and the Seven Big Wins of the Federal Government.

    The Chairman praised the Federal Government for initiating the Joint Venture cash call exit programme, stressing that the move would bolster their activities in the upstream sub-sector.

    The IPPG was formed a year ago with the mandate to promote and advance the collective interest of members in a coordinated manner as a unified advocacy platform for Federal Government policies in the upstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry.

     

     

  • NNPC raises alarm over international crude oil fraudsters

    NNPC raises alarm over international crude oil fraudsters

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Tuesday raised the red flag on the activities of con men who specialize in circulating phantom letters of crude oil allocation with the intent of defrauding unsuspecting would-be buyers or members of the public.

    Speaking at the presentation of commendation letters to 12 staff of the Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Corporation in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the activities of the international fraudsters created an unnecessary distraction for staff of the COMD who were compelled to deal with huge turnover of scam mails on a regular basis.

    According to the NNPC statement that made this known, he urged members of the public to be wary of such dubious emails purporting to emanate from the Corporation with mouth-watering crude oil allocation offers.

    Providing an insight into the activities of the nefarious group, the Group General Manager in charge of the Crude oil Marketing Division of the Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, said the scammers function by sending fake crude oil allocation letters using names of senior NNPC officials as decoy and requesting the gullible individuals to pay certain cash deposits as commission on volume of crude received.

    “The gullible individuals end up paying huge sums of dollars into these accounts as commission but the reality is that nobody allocates crude oil on a piece of paper the way the scammers canvass in their dubious letters. Everything about crude sale is electronic and real time. If you have your cargo the whole world knows,” Kyari said.

    To tackle the challenge, the COMD has made available the email contacts of its top officials thus allowing members of the public access to verify such emails.

    In similar vein, the division has embarked on the automation of the Direct-Sale –Direct-Purchase (DSDP) crude oil for product exchange scheme to ensure transparency of the process.

    According to Kyari, the idea is to guarantee an end-to-end access to the DSDP programme online for relevant stakeholders to monitor the process from the point of crude oil allocation to conversion, return of products to the country and distribution by the Nigerian Products Marketing Company (NPMC) to the ultimate transfer of the Naira cash into the Federation Account.

    He said though some form of automation of the process exists at the moment, the new programme which would be delivered by next month would provide insight into the minutest details of the entire transaction.

    The GMD, while presenting letters of commendation to the 12 staff of the division for outstanding service, urged them not to rest on their oars, stressing that the Corporation would as always incentivize hard work and commitment to service delivery.

     

  • Vandals hurting the economy – NNPC

    Vandals hurting the economy – NNPC

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has appealed to oil pipeline vandals to desist from such nefarious activity, saying the conduct is not only harmful to the environment but equally hazardous to the economy.

    Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) who was at the NNPC Towers Abuja for a business meeting, Baru said petroleum pipeline pulverization presented a loss-loss scenario for the vandal, the environment and the economy.

    He restated the NNPC commitment to best industry standards in Health Safety and the Environment, (HSE), noting that the Corporation does not embark on any project without a duly certified Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

    A statement issued on Friday by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu quoted the GMD as saying:“All our projects also go through commissioning and decommissioning and we do it in accordance with prevailing world standards and our environmental practices are in line with the latest International Standard Organization (ISO) specification. ’’

    Baru noted that HSE was given a major consideration before the Corporation executed the multi-billionaire naira upstream investment agreements with some of its Joint Venture (JV) partners.

    ‘’Be rest assured that if there is just one company that would be environmentally compliant in the industry, it is definitely going to be NNPC,’’ he added.

    The National Vice President of the NES, Mrs. Dorothy Bassey, commended the NNPC for success in the sector, especially the signing of alternative funding agreements with the JV partners and the re-invigoration of the NNPC anti-corruption unit.

     

     

  • NNPC disowns fake recruitment adverts 

    NNPC disowns fake recruitment adverts 

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has, for the umpteenth time, reiterated that it has not launched a recruitment campaign of any kind for now.

    The latest clarification is coming on the heels of a fresh recruitment advert purportedly from the Corporation being circulated by e-mails and on various social media platforms.

    A statement by the Corporation’s spokesman, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, disclosed that the advert which is on a fake letterhead complete with NNPC logo is purportedly signed by the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and the Chief Operating Officer, Refineries, Mr. Anibor Kragha, and directs unsuspecting applicants to send their applications to a fake e-mail address: nnpccareersrecruitment@gmail.com.

    Shedding more light on the scam, Mr. Ughamadu said another form of the scam involved text messages, e-mails, and letters inviting gullible job seekers for fake job interviews at the NNPC Towers and other locations across the country with a view to extorting money from them.

    He called on members of the public, especially applicants, to discountenance any of such adverts or spurious invitations for job interviews as the Corporation was currently not recruiting, stressing that anyone who entertains such invitations does so at his or her own risk.

    Mr. Ughamadu advised that anyone contacted for the purpose of the fake recruitment should not hesitate to report such invitations to relevant law enforcement agencies, adding that the Corporation would continue to engage security agencies on the scam.

    He said NNPC Management under the leadership of Dr. Maikanti Baru would sustain the prevailing culture of transparency and accountability which has witnessed the conduct of open public bidding in sourcing for contractors and suppliers of goods and services for its day-to-day operations, including recruitment exercises, stressing that NNPC will advertise all vacant positions in national newspapers whenever it was ready to recruit.