By Adedapo Adesanya
Despite Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges to meet peak oil production, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, has said the country has the capacity to meet the 3 million barrels per day quota expected of the country by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Mr Sylva said though the country currently produced about 1.3 million barrels per day, concerted efforts were being made to increase production to meet the OPEC quota.
The junior oil minister said this at the 2021 graduation ceremony of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) held recently in Effurun, Delta State.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr Nasir Gwarzo, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has mandated the ministry to meet the three million barrels per day production within the shortest time possible.
Mr Sylva stated, “Some of the strides of the petroleum ministry, one of which is the mandate to increase crude oil production to three million barrels per day.
“Today, we are producing about 1.3 million barrels per day. The ministry is putting all concerted efforts to meeting the current OPEC quota.”
Speaking on how to ensure this, Mr Sylva disclosed that the rehabilitation of Port-Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company was on course, adding that soon, that of Warri and Kaduna would commence as well.
On the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Minister said the committee set up for its implementation would ensure that PTI carried out its responsibility of human capital development in the oil and gas sector in the country.
“The major stakeholders like the OPTS, the Petroleum Ministry, the PTDF, NCDMB, the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Mid-stream and Downstream Regulatory Authority will be co-opted to ensure that PTI is supported with respect to policy achievement and funding,” he assured.
Mr Sylva commended the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of PTI, Mr Henry Adimula, for the successes recorded by the institute established for training students for the oil and gas sector.
On his part, the Delta State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Okowa, expressed satisfaction that the quality of training received by the graduating students would put them in good stead to compete with their contemporaries all over the world.
