Nigeria boots oil production to 1.8m barrels per day navy acquires transport helicopters evidence of Tinubu gains government says
Nigeria’s oil production rises by 500,000 bpd to 1.8 million bpd, state company said on Thursday.
This marks a significant recovery for Africa’s largest crude oil exporter, whose production was estimated at just 1.3 million bpd in October, according to OPEC.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) attributes the increase to collaborative efforts with joint venture operators, production-sharing contract partners, security agencies, and the government.
“The team has done a great job in driving this project of not just production recovery but also escalating production to expected levels that are in the short and long terms acceptable to our shareholders,” NNPC CEO Mele Kyari told reporters on Thursday.
The company has been actively combating crude oil theft, sabotage, and unrest in the Niger Delta region, which previously significantly hampered production. A dedicated “war room” established in June to coordinate anti-theft efforts has resulted in the destruction of several crude-theft vessels and the arrest of illegal refiners.
Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla
Kyari credits rigorous pipeline monitoring and interventions across the entire production chain as key factors in this substantial production increase. The NNPC anticipates reaching a production level of 2 million bpd by the end of the year.
In an effort to bolster maritime security and monitor the offshore oil assets the country took delivery of two A109 Trekker multirole helicopters.
The handover ceremony, which took place at Caverton Helicopters Limited’s hangar facilities in Ikeja, Lagos, was attended by high-ranking officials including the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The Italian-made A-109 Trekkers feature a luxurious VIP configuration with full leather interiors and a noise attenuation system for a comfortable ride, the navy said in a statement. Their landing skids allow for increased loading capacity compared to wheeled helicopters, making them ideal for transporting personnel and cargo.
“Additionally, the helicopters are designed with auxiliary tanks which give them extended endurance of up to 3 hrs 40 mins,” the statement reads. “Thus, the helicopter could be used for long-range transport flights.”
The versatile helicopters are also designed to be easily retrofitted with specialized mission equipment, adding further flexibility to the Nigerian Navy’s operations.
Akowe with materials from Sputnik