Author: Sasforde

Escalating oil theft by criminals is eating up resources of the country. Industry operators are calling for declaration of emergency in the oil and gas sector to halt the menace. Recently, security agents operating across the country reported the recovery of stolen crude oil valued at N86.2 billion in August alone.

Also, a total of 16, 000 litres of diesel valued at N800/litres (N12.8m), were reported to have been recovered by members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Cross River.

Confirming the situation, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Timipre Sylva, said that the country loses 400,000 barrels of crude daily via oil theft.

He described the development as a “national emergency” and regretted that the nation had fallen short of OPEC daily quota, from 1.8 million barrels to 1.4 million barrels, due to crude theft. Sylva said the problem of crude theft could not be handled by federal government alone, as the thefts happens in the communities that host the oil pipelines. As a result, it has become necessary to involve the stakeholders, especially host communities.

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From my investigations, I saw that the oil theft is orchestrated by an organised syndicate allegedly backed by security personnel specifically assigned to man key export infrastructure and pipelines. A top industry operator who confided in me said some soldiers posted to a key export line in Port Harcourt openly threatened to kill their new commander who made an attempt to carry out changes of those assigned to guard the asset.

National President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, said time has come for government to declare emergency in the sector. He told me that because crime has become a well coordinated theft with some security agents compromising their responsibilities, a shift towards investing in artificial intelligence would be a major consideration of government going forward.

The Chief Executive Officer, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Limited Mr Mele Kyari, sharing similar data, disclosed that the country loses an average of 200,000 barrels of crude per day to oil thieves, translating to 73million barrels in a year.

Also, Speaking at an oil and gas event in Lagos on Thursday, Commission Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, said the agency has developed a roadmap for tackling the security challenges in the industry.

Komolafe said NUPRC, has identified and is working towards implementing areas of collaboration between the government and operators and ensuring that operators realise their full production potential.

Under the plan the Commission is liaising with the top echelon of Nigerian Security Forces for a robust security framework that ensures Government Security Forces (GSF) provide pipeline and asset security.

In addition, massive public enlightenment campaign to educate citizens on the dangers associated with crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, in collaboration with relevant agencies would be carried out.

A rights group, promoting openness in the oil and gas sector, Transparency Alliance Network, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to avert moves by some interests in the Presidency to subvert the concluded bidding process to engage consultants for the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) and Monitoring/Evaluation Agents (MEAs) under Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) in the industry.

It said the bidding process for the Pre-Shipment Contract for PIAs and MEAs issued through the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning was handled in line with the Procurement Act 2007 and other extant laws.

In a press release signed in Abuja yesterday by the group’s national coordinator, Zakary Musa Zubairu, he said after satisfying all the pre-qualification requirements, including expertise and tract record of experience, the contract was awarded to qualified Nigerian companies vide an approval letter referenced PRES/87/MF/314 dated May 15, 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Zubairu, however, alleged that some “unscrupulous elements in Tinubu’s government are bent on thwarting the process and causing an ignominious policy reversal.”

He expressed optimism that such an action has no place in the Renewed Hope Agenda and continuity policy of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Zubairu said those seeking to “exploit their closeness to power and the trust reposed in them by President Tinubu to enrich themselves should know that there’s no room for such criminality in this administration.”

He said, “We have very reliable and credible intelligence at our disposal that after passing through the bidding and pre-qualification process for the Pre-Shipment Inspection and Monitoring in the Oil and Gas sector, vested interests in the Presidency have removed the names of the companies that won the bid and replaced it with their preferred companies without recourse to the concluded process. This is not only criminal but a breach of the Procurement Act. We therefore demand its immediate reversal.”

The group maintained that with the strategic importance of the Pre-Shipment Inspection and Monitoring in the verification of the quality, quantity, pricing, currency exchange rate and financial terms including monitoring and evaluating, it is important to follow due process and not resort to sharp practices that will further worsen the energy crisis Nigeria is currently facing especially with the removal of fuel subsidy in the country.

“As an anti-corruption think-tank, we are saddened by the barefaced illegality that’s been supervised by the exulted office of the Chief of Staff. Shortchanging the companies that rigorously went through the bidding and pre-qualification process and bringing unqualified companies without the requisite experience and expertise is a deliberate attempt to jeopardise the Tinubu administration and further worsen the plight of Nigerians who depend on the oil and gas sector for jobs and energy needs. The need to have competent companies to monitor and evaluate the sector is sacrosanct and we stand with the law and the good people of Nigeria to denounce any such rascality,” the statement added.

Despite the push from fossil fuel due to net-zero concerns, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said demand for the products would continue to power the transportation sector.

The growing rate of electric vehicles, according to new research by OPEC may not drastically limit internal combustion engine vehicles while electric vehicles, including battery electric vehicles (BEV) are expected to account for the largest share of fleet additions in the long term.

OPEC said that vehicles would retain their leading role, with a global share of more than 70 per cent in 2045.

OPEC noted that the petroleum industry, like all sectors, relies on investment to develop and adapt technologies that could address the climate challenge.

It added that efforts to restrict investment opportunities limit the industry’s ability to become more sustainable while meeting growing consumer demand.

OPEC had noted that global oil-related investment requirements total $12.1 trillion as of 2022 over the long term.

Of the fund, OPEC said $9.5 trillion is needed for the upstream, $1.6 trillion for the downstream, and $1 trillion in the midstream, adding that North America represents the bulk of upstream investments for most of the forecast period.

The development is coming at a time when oil companies and investors across the world are slowing down regarding their investment portfolios in fossil fuels.

Despite the push for energy transition, Senior Research Analyst, Energy Studies Department, OPEC, Dr. Haris Aliefendic, stated that global oil demand is rising and would increase by close to 13 million barrels per day, rising to 110 mb/d in 2045.

According to him, growth would slow after the medium-term period but oil demand would reach almost 110 mb/d in the long-term.

Aliefendic noted that the largest incremental demand would be in India, Asia and Africa. He noted that global energy demand would also increase by 23 per cent to reach 351 mboe/d in 2045 as renewables would mark the fastest and largest growth.

The global energy crisis has caused a record demand for natural gas as countries seek to reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) has said in this week’s industry report.

IEA in its global gas security review noted that the crisis has reshaped natural gas markets, highlighting the need for closer dialogue between producers and consumers to ensure the security of supply.

Sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report noted that the crisis transformed the structure of the natural gas market, forcing it to require closer dialogue between producers and consumers looking to ensure both short- and longer-term security of supply and reduce emissions.

IEA’s Director of Energy Markets and Security, Keisuke Sadamori, said the new global gas market is taking shape after last year’s crisis, noting that responsible producers and consumers must reconsider their approaches to supply security and flexibility, cooperating more closely.

“Meaningful efforts are also needed to reduce the carbon footprint of gas supply chains, including through greater use of low-emissions gasses”.The agency revealed that if injections continue at the average rate observed since mid-April, EU storage sites could be filled close to 100 per cent by mid-September and full storage sites are no guarantee against market volatility during the winter

Also, Executive Director, IEA, Faith Birol, said solar is set to attract more capital than global oil production in 2023 for the first time. He said it reflected the major shift taking place in energy systems around the world as a sign that clean energy is moving faster than many people think.

The World Energy Association, in its response, said the transition isn’t only about a more sustainable energy future, but also reflects changing economic and societal values.

The association stressed that as technology continues to advance and the costs of solar panels decrease, widespread adoption should be expected.
“This is a significant milestone, it underscores the global shift towards renewable energy and the decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. The fact that solar panel installation is attracting more capital indicates a strong belief in its long-term viability and profitability,” it stated.

The agency emphasised the role of critical minerals in the clean energy transition as an energy system powered by clean energy technologies differs profoundly from one fuelled by traditional hydrocarbon resources.

It stressed that scaling up clean energy spending in emerging and developing economies can improve energy access and security, jobs creation, industry growth and more, noting that public spending alone is not enough to do this as greater private financing is vital.

“Critical minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth are essential components in clean energy technologies, ensuring reliable supplies of these minerals will be vital to supporting efforts to reach climate and energy goals”.

The agency stated that a typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car and an offshore wind plant requires 13 times more mineral resources than a similarly sized gas-fired plant.

It revealed that since 2010, the average amount of mineral resources needed for a new unit of power generation capacity has increased by 50 per cent as the share of renewables in new investment has risen.

Rare earth elements are essential for permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles (EV), noting that electricity networks need a huge amount of copper and aluminum, with copper being a cornerstone for all electricity-related technologies.

The agency stated that mineral demand for clean energy technologies is set to quadruple by 2050 in both the announced pledges and net zero scenarios, with annual revenues reaching $400 billion as high and volatile critical mineral prices and highly concentrated supply chains could delay energy transitions or make them costlier.

“As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they also need to make sure that energy systems remain resilient and secure. The rising importance of critical minerals in a decarbonising energy system requires energy policymakers to expand their horizons and consider potential new vulnerabilities.
“It is essential to ensure diverse, resilient and secure clean energy supply chains, including for critical minerals.”