DPR Dismisses Claims of Missing 2mbpd Shell Oil

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has dismissed media reports that it uncovered a missing 2 million barrels of crude in oil production records by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) between 2016 and 2018.

The oil industry regulator through its spokesperson, Mr Paul Osu, described the allegations as “false and baseless”.

The report had alleged that SPDC admitted the infraction and offered to refund the cost of the oil and pay a fine.

The report further claimed that the shortfall came from the Trans Niger Delta export pipeline which conveys a daily average of 150,000 barrels of SPDC’s Bonny light crude blend to the export terminal.

The agency urged the public to disregard the false media report.

According to Mr Osu, “There is absolutely nothing like that, kindly disregard.”

Also, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, Media Relations Manager at SPDC, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), dismissed the report as false and malicious and irresponsible and urged media agencies to cross-check with the DPR.

“The claims are baseless and without any iota of truth, it is totally false and malicious and lacks substance.

“SPDC was not under any probe by the DPR. SPDC had never admitted to underreporting its crude production to DPR or any authority,” Mr Odugbesan said.