NIGER DELTA: SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BOOSTED PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS IN THE REGION........AGIP OIL

The security improvements in the Niger Delta region in the last two years of this current administration has helped to boost oil production to about twenty five million barrels per day.

This was the disclosure on Saturday by one of the oil majors; Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) on Saturday as it applauded the Joint military force deployed to the Niger Delta to curb restiveness and provide a peaceful atmosphere for uninterrupted oil production.

This disclosure was made by Marco Rondo, outgoing General Manager of the Port Harcourt District.

The outgoing GM stated this while on a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the joint force christened Operation Delta Safe in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The operations of the joint force against militancy and oil theft, according to Marco Rondo, had stabilised the operations of the oil firm and reduced incidents of oil theft across its operations in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

"Security is critical to the operations of the oil firm which produce some 80 percent of its oil export from Nigeria", he said.

NAOC, it would be recalled, had on March 2013, shut down its activities at oil fields in Bayelsa, from which it produced about 40,000 barrels of crude oil daily, following high incidences of oil theft.

The oil firm had revealed that it was losing about 7,000 barrels of its crude production daily to oil thieves in Bayelsa; a development the firm described as unsustainable, necessitating the shutdown.

It subsequently resumed operations a few months afterwards, when security operations by the Nigerian government to the area was reinforced.

With the drastic drop in the rate of oil theft within the past two years, Rondo appealed to the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi to extend the support to the incoming General Manager Mr Tiatti Alissandra.

In his response, Admiral Apochi noted that it was gratifying to note that the operations of the military were adding value to oil and gas operations, leading to a boost in oil output.

The Commander of the Joint Task Force noted that several oil firms operating in the Niger Delta had expressed satisfaction with the improved security situation in the region in the recent past during interactions with the Command.

“We are glad that our modest efforts are being appreciated by oil industry operators and we remain committed to our duty; we are here because of the mandate of the federal government".

“We have no choice than to do what we are doing because, that is our job".

"It is our service to our fatherland", he emphasized.

On the delegation of the outgoing GM were Mr Dennis Masi, Public Affairs Manager, Mr Stanley Umokoro, and Security Manager while the Unit Commanders in Operation Delta Safe witnessed the ceremony. 

Additional reports from NAN and News Express