By Adedapo Adesanya
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has ordered oil and gas oil companies to reduce their offshore workforce and move to a 28-day staff rotation as part of measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
According to a statement signed by the Director of DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, only staff on essential duties would be allowed to travel to offshore or remote locations.
“Non-essential staff currently at offshore/remote locations should be withdrawn with immediate effect,” he said in the statement.
A spread of the coronavirus disease in the nation’s oil and gas sector could be devastating to an already affected oil economy which accounts for 90 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange.
With international airports, land borders, and measures place on cargo vessels at vessels, the country can’t afford a full closure and this has led a number of oil companies to shift from 14-day rotations to 28 days.
It has been reported that some are also implementing a 14-day quarantine for workers before they leave for rigs.
Oil prices have fallen by over 60 percent since the beginning of the year amid the outbreak and a Saudi-Russia oil price war which has forced Nigeria to cut its budget and prompted oil companies to reduce their spending plans.
As at the time of this report, there are 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria with 1 death.