The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has announced new measures aimed at cost reduction and strengthening of operational efficiency across its value chain.
The NNPC in a release stated that after proper evaluation and in line with the terms of contract for the delivery of crude oil to the nation’s refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, the Corporation has cancelled the current contract due to exorbitant cost and inappropriate process of engagement.
The Corporation noted that as a stop-gap measure, NIDAS Marine Limited, a subsidiary of the NNPC has been engaged to provide crude delivery service on negotiated industry standard rate pending the establishment of substantive contract.
“We have also commenced a rigorous and transparent process of securing capable and competitive contractors for the delivery of crude oil by marine vessels to Port Harcourt and Warri/Kaduna Refineries pending the restoration of the Crude Pipeline infrastructure,” the Corporation stated.
The NNPC explained that it resorted to the delivery of crude oil to the refineries by marine vessels following incessant attacks on the Bonny-Port Harcourt refinery pipeline and the Escravos crude pipelines by vandals and oil thieves resulting in the complete unavailability of the pipelines in 2013.
The Corporation also announced the termination of the Offshore Processing Agreements, OPA, entered into in January, 2015 with three companies, namely- Duke Oil Company Inc., Aiteo Energy Resources Limited and Sahara Energy Resources (Nig) Ltd.
Under the agreement NNPC allocates a total of 210, 000 barrels of crude oil per day for refining at offshore locations in exchange for petroleum products at pre-agreed yield pattern.
“However after detailed appraisal of the operation and its terms of agreement, the NNPC is convinced that the current OPA is skewed in favour of the companies such that the value of product delivered is significantly lower than the equivalent crude oil allocated for the programme,” the Corporation said.
The NNPC also observed that the structure of the agreement does not guarantee unimpeded supply of petroleum products as delivery terms were not optimal.
To address these lapses, the NNPC informed that it has commenced the process of establishing alternative OPA based on optimum yield pattern with tender processing fees.
