It is obvious that the effort of the pipeline surveillance company to the federal government’s determination to end oil theft cannot be written off. Sanity is gradually returning to oil producing communities as a result of the strategic roles played by the surveillance companies.
Oil industry stakeholders, including pipeline host communities, have expressed satisfaction with ongoing pipeline surveillance strategy to secure the nation’s crude oil from pipeline vandals and oil thieves. Interestingly, the issue of oil theft has become one of the most prominent public issues in Nigeria today, with billions being lost to oil thieves and illegal bunkerers. It is generally being acknowledged that the rate of crude oil theft has significantly reduced as a result of the efforts made by surveillance companies.
At the peak of the dark days of oil theft, industry sources have it that Nigeria was losing about 96% of its oil in the Eastern corridor to oil thieves and vandals, with a large chunk of that volume being stolen from the pipelines, especially the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), which conveys crude to Bonny export terminal from the various oil wells in the Niger Delta.
The economic implications were critical to the nation leading to economic depression and slow growth with its attendant hardship, especially as crude oil revenue remained the largest contributor to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
Added to this were environmental and health challenges posed by collateral damage to the environment through oil pollution emanating from leakages from pipelines, usually sabotaged in the course of oil tapping and the emission of soot into the environment adjudged to endanger the lives of people living close to places where the stolen crude was crudely and illegally refined by oil thieves popularly known as kpo fire operators.
In August 2022, the Nigeria government – through the NNPC – commenced an industry wide architecture to end the menace, which has punched numerous holes in the nation’s purse with significant negative impact on the health and fishing livelihood of the host communities.
Since then, improvements have been recorded and this can be seen from recent reports showing significant increase in the overall oil production values and receipts getting to over 90%. In addition to the production improvement, the emission of soot into the environment in areas like Port Harcourt, Owaza, Ibaa, Ndele and Bayelsa, which badly impacted on the people’s health has reduced geometrically and host communities around the impacted swamp sections gradually returning to fishing.
A tour was done of some of the pipeline host communities to ascertain how security surveillance of the pipelines has fared in their areas and to what extent it has helped to address the challenge of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
At Okohia community, on the zone 3, Owaza pipeline route, being covered by one of the contractors, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, PINL, which secures the 12-inch Trans Niger Pipeline TNP running through the area, the technical team was fixing a point on the pipeline sabotaged by vandals in an early morning attack that very Wednesday.
Surveillance Team To The Rescue
Sunny Otuke, Chairman, Community Development Committee CDC of the community, told journalists that the attack was carried out about 5:30am after the surveillance guards had closed from the night shift.
He praised the technical team from PINL for the quick response to the attack saying it saved the community from the spill that would have occurred from the sabotage.
The CDC Chairman stated: “The response was swift. Even the workers at the camp didn’t have breakfast, they just rushed down to effect the repairs.”
He explained that the oil thieves resorted to breaking pipes out of frustration because the surveillance guards now prevent them from stealing oil from the pipe.
“The boys closed work past 4am. They normally close 4am but since we noticed this their style I told them not to be closing earlier than 5 am. Now, because we prevent them from connecting valves to steal from the pipes, what they are doing now is to go about using saw to cut the pipes in order to cause spills. That’s what we have been battling but since over a month now, this is the first one we have noticed. So, we are trying to control it.”
Otuke applauded the policy of pipeline surveillance and the contactors handling it, stressing that they had helped to extensively reduce oil theft and illegal refining that were threatening the peace and wellbeing of the entire community.
On his part, Simeon Nwagbara, from Owaza Community, also applauded the federal government and the NNPCL for adopting the security surveillance strategy in the fight against oil theft, illegal refining/kpo fire and pipeline vandalism.
He said with the new strategy, more youths have been employed from the community as surveillance guards adding that since they took over the contract they had employed about 30 youths from his community.
He said: “Before their arrival, Shell was not even having any drop of oil. As they took over from Shell at least we can boast that we are giving them, if not 100% then 80% from along this pipeline route. So they are trying in terms of security,” Nwagbara stated.
At Norkpo community, Tai Local Government Area in Ogoniland, hosting the 24-inch Trans National Pipeline TNP and 28-inch Bonny loop line, our Correspondent learnt that the pipeline surveillance has not only helped to end illegal bunkering but also fostered peace among the communities.
Return Of Peace
Speaking to journalists on the performance of the surveillance contractor handling the Ogoni axis, Augustine Aminikpo, JP, His Royal Highness, Paramount Ruler of the community, said that since Pipeline Infrastructure came into the community a year ago they have made peace to reign in Ogoni axis.
The Royal Father stated: “In fact, before they came in, you cannot wash your clothes and keep outside because of bunkering activities that were going on in this our Ogoni axis. The reason we cannot wash and keep outside was because of soot generated from the activities of kpo fire operators. But now, the bunkering activities have reduced and the soot that was staining our clothes when we spread them outside has ceased, now you can wash and keep outside, 24-hours.
“In fact SPDC could not pump crude before but due to efforts of PINL they are pumping 24 hours now. They can pump one week, they can pump two weeks, they can pump one month.
“They have made peace to reign in Ogoni axis, they engage the youths, they empower the youths, they empower the chiefs and His Royal Majesty. They even engage the people that the pipeline did not pass through their lands, like people of Okrika, Ogu, Wakama.”
The paramount ruler, who said the two pipelines divide the community into two, added: “As I talk to you, there’s no bunkering activities going on. They are no longer doing any bunkering activities in Ogoni axis anymore. No more bunkering, no more Kpo fire anywhere. It is because of the performance of the contractors. So, there is peace now in Ogoni axis. They have tried and we want them to try more.”
He also explained that part of the strategy adopted by the company was massive employment of community youths to be part of the pipeline surveillance guards.
He added: “In some communities they engage 20, some 30, some 40. There are three local government areas in Ogoni that the contractor covers. In each of these local governments they employ more than 200.
“For now, those boys that were involved in bunkering activities have forgotten about bunkering and joined in securing the pipelines”.
The youth leader of the community, Osaro Barisua corroborated the paramount ruler, saying that the coming of Pipeline Infrastructure had improved the quality of life in the community with employment to many youths and ending the emission of soot that threatened the health of the people.
According to the youth leader, “Before now, there have been series of sabotage on this pipeline and we discovered that those responsible for it were the youths, just like my Chief have said.
“And before now there were other workers that were working on this pipeline but they were not able to comprehend the solution to vandalism. But when this new contractor came in and engaged the youths, I’m telling you, as a youth leader, I’m part of the business.
“Morning afternoon and night, we go out on this line with the army and DSS, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that this line is safe and secured. All is attributed to the encouragement given to us by Pipeline Infrastructure. I want to say that since their arrival there has been drastic change that took place in this work.
“So we are very happy because before now there were Kpo fire everywhere but as it stands now, there is no community in Ogoni that is doing this bunkering business, nowhere.
“Outside employing some of our youths, like last December, all the paramount rulers on this Ogoni axis smiled. They (the paramount ulers) did not make any demands but as a way of appreciating them to boost their morale. What the company did to them was visible. No contractor that had worked on this line ever did that and because of that all the paramount rulers sat up to ensure that this line is secure. So day in, day out all the workers that are working under them ensure that this line is safe. They are trying very well.
“As for Chief Superintendent (CP) Audu Boniface, Head of the Civil Defense Special Forces from National Headquarters, Abuja, attached to the Zone 3 Owaza Camp, they are on 24/7 surveillance of pipelines and well heads across Owaza in Abia and Rivers states as part of their statutory functions.”
He explained the scope of their job.
Scope Of Surveillance
“We have precisely 130 well heads in Owaza and Odogwa. They are up to 80 functioning actively both in Owaza and Odogwa, all feeding the Trans Niger pipeline. We have spent about four months here and so far, so good – we have made so many arrests and so many prosecutions of the illegal bunkerers/oil thieves.
“The threats that we have on regular basis is that the locals here, 24 hours, try to attack the facilities. Some of them, you arrest them and almost immediately another group will spring up. So, we don’t sleep on our jobs here, we don’t close our eyes on pipelines and well heads across board here.
“Every day, every minute you will see them trying to tamper with the line and we have been preventing them from doing so.
“I’m very happy that we have made serious achievements here because our presence here scares them away. Immediately they sight us, they run, immediately you go they return. So, we keep on chasing them in order not to continue tampering with the well heads and pipelines.
“Right from Ibaa at Ndele camp, Kpo and Owaza, in Odogwa, the arrests have been more than 50 that we have made. Some have been prosecuted and some released on bail.”
However, the Operational Director of Pipeline Infrastructure explained that the Owaza, Abia State, and Norkpo in Ogoni, Rivers State, are just a small portion of the Port Harcourt section of the Eastern corridor of the security surveillance covered by Pipeline Infrastructure, PINL.
He said that due to the PINL Strategic deployment and operations in the Eastern corridor, the company made a 100% recovery of the 8-inch Nkali flow-station – Imo River II manifold pipeline from historical illegal connection/leak points and historical clamped point.
He added: “All infringements/ clamps were removed and point saddle welded. The pipeline is currently transferring and receiving crude oil feedstocks from the Nkali flow station – Imo River manifold – Ogale manifolds.
“We made 100% recovery of the Isinmiri delivery line and 95% recovery along the dual trunklines on the Imo River II – Ogale Manifold pipeline, both pipeline are operational with 95% receipt at Ogale manifold since commencement of PINL operation till date.”
“Prior to PINL engagement, the delivery lines were abandoned in place due to multiple infringements and incessant leaks.
PINL strategic deployment and covert operations are gradually turning the Zone 3 axis of the Trans-Niger pipeline to historical hotspot and has ensured continuous crude oil flow through the Imo river – Ogale pipelines, among many other major achievements,” the operations director added.
Given the situation described above, it is obvious that the effort of the pipeline surveillance company to the federal government’s determination to end oil theft cannot be written off. Sanity is gradually returning to oil producing communities as a result of the strategic roles played by the surveillance companies.
