MINISTER of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Friday inaugurated the newly built multibillion naira crude oil underground pipeline from Escravos to Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, to facilitate delivery of crude directly to the refineries rather than the use of marine vessels, which has been in use over the years.
The Minister who disclosed that fuel queues would soon be a thing of the past in the next one week, said the new pipeline would constantly supply crude to the refineries, noting that this would be the first time that the three refineries in the country would be operational at the same time.
Expressing gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for reposing confidence in the NNPC team, Kachikwu said: “We must thank President Muhammadu Buhari for giving us the opportunity to deliver this and for the first time our three refineries will be working at the same time. This underground pipeline will check sabotage and I can tell you the sufferings of people will soon be a thing of the past as regards fuel scarcity. I apologise to Nigerians for the long fuel scarcity but we are working round the clock to bring smiles on their faces.”
He commended the contractor, Ocean Marine Solution, saying that despite the fact that the contractor had not been paid before embarking on the job, they did a good job that will help solve the problems confronting the oil sector.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Ocean Marine Solution, Capt. Okunbo, attributed the completion of the multi-billion naira project to President Buhari’s determination to bring total reform in the oil and gas sector, noting that this was the first time in the last 10 years that crude would be delivered to the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through pipe-lines.
His words: “Today we are very glad that for the first time over 10 years, we are able to deliver the crude line between Escravos and Warri and crude is now flowing through the pipeline which was an impossibility over the years. We thank God, because the minister, the NNPC and the staff of the refinery are glad and rejoicing. As a company we are also rejoicing for what God has used us to do. For me, am so glad because sometimes there are certain things you achieve which is more than money. We have created serious value for this country using our own resources.
“We thank God for the new leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, his face has saved the pipeline because he is a no nonsense man.”
Okunbo, while acknowledging the support his firm got from community leaders, he revealed that his staff faced several threats to their lives during the execution of the project, stating: “It was very tedious and sometime we almost got killed and faced threats to our lives. We have put our lives on the line to deliver Escravos, we have also delivered Bonny to Port Harcourt and today there is crude in Port Harcourt that is flowing to the refinery and the same thing with Warri refinery.