The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says that the Federal Government has concluded plans to implement a security infrastructure that is similar to the one done by Saudi Aramco in order to protect its oil pipelines.
The new measure might not be unconnected to the increasing level of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft that have hit the oil sector in recent times with massive loss of revenue.
The new security architecture which is expected to be unveiled soon will help stop massive oil pipeline vandalism that has resulted in the country losing 30% of produced volumes to crude thieves.
This was made known by the Group Managing Director and Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari while speaking during the 49th session of the weekly State House ministerial briefing at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, in Abuja,
The NNPC boss had also earlier accused some religious organizations which include churches and mosques, highly placed individuals, security operators among others, of being complicit in pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.
Nigeria has since the beginning of the year failed to meet its crude oil OPEC quota due to an increasing level of crude oil theft and vandalism, which has gotten to an alarming level.
The Federal Government had revealed that Nigeria lost about $1 billion in revenue to pipeline vandals and oil thieves in the first quarter of 2022.
Kyari had earlier insisted that the Federal government took the right decision to hire private contractors to help secure the oil pipeline across the country, despite some criticisms of that policy.
He argued that although the security agencies are doing their part, end-to-end pipeline surveillance would require the involvement of private entities and community stakeholders.