• Why the feat is worth celebrating – PPMC staff
• Stakeholders hail Ibe Kachikwu for re-energising oil industry
Rare feats happen on the watch of rare men; therefore, things will never be the same in the Nigerian petroleum sector, under the supervision of Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu. The Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum has inspired a remarkable first in the annals of the oil and gas industry.
For the first time in 16 years, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), successfully pumped about 10 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the Port Harcourt, Rivers State refinery to Aba, Abia State depot. The company also achieved the successful operationalisation of fuel transmission from Atlas Cove to Mosimi, Mosimi to Ibadan and Ilorin, Kwara state. The transmission line from Enugu to Makurdi, Benue state is equally ready as you read.
These great feats were achievable because of Kachikwu zero tolerance for oil vandalisation through 3rd party contractors, private security companies and Navy, Army and the Police.
The process commenced around 1400 hours (2 p.m.) on Saturday, on the constant watch and surveillance of PPMC officials and security operatives. According to senior executives of the PPMC, this is the first time that they would be recording such feat without having to shut down the process to disturbance of any sort.
The transmission has been described as a monumental success attributable to the visionary leadership of the new Minister of State for Petroleum, Kachikwu and the purpose-driven staff of the PPMC. As a result, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) has been introduced while the establishment gets set to pump Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) immediately after it completes its transmission of AGO across the pipelines.
In the wake of transmission of PMS from the Port Harcourt refinery to Aba depot, the Aba station has become a beehive of activities, likewise the other Atlas Cove, Mosimi, Ibadan and Ilorin stations. Tankers have started loading petroleum products to the delight of PPMC staff and other stakeholders in the oil industry. Stakeholders in the oil sector enthused about the progressive spate of activities at the oil stations urging the incumbent administration to consolidate on its achievements.
At the backdrop of activities at the oil stations however, PPMC security network successfully detected and destroyed over 80 valves inserted by oil thieves to illicitly siphon fuel between the Port Harcourt refinery and Aba depot. The detection and destruction of the illicit valves was expertly supervised and executed by PPMC staff and security network while initiating countermeasures to prevent such sabotage and theft in the future.
The successful operationalisation of the Port Harcourt-Aba oil transmission network no doubt substantiates the incumbent Minister of State for Petroleum, Kachikwu’s statement of purpose at the beginning of his tenure; Kachikwu promised to establish fundamental change in the nation’s oil sector.
While stating his determination to improve the efficiency of the oil corporation, he emphasized that refineries incapable of producing at 65 per cent capacity utilization by the end of the year will be shut down. Kachikwu stated that although the Port Harcourt refinery was functional at 65 per cent utilisation, efforts will be made to get it to 80 per cent utilization within the shortest possible time.
The new Minister of State for Petroleum is certainly matching action to his words.
