By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed that in the month of June 2017, it recorded about 86 cases of pipeline breaks across the country.
NNPC, in its June 2017 Monthly Financial and Operations Report released on Tuesday, stated that out of these 86 cases, 77 were due to pipeline vandalism, which represents almost 40 percent increase relative to cases recorded in the previous month (May 2017).
The report added that while the Port Harcourt-Aba line recorded the highest pipeline breaches of 55 points (66 percent), there was also an unusual upsurge in the activities of vandal along Kaduna-Zaria line which witnessed 13 vandalized points during the period.
In a related development, the report said there was also a slight decrease in national gas production compared to previous month which stood at 227.15BCF or an average of 7,571.50 mmscfd in the month under review.
This, the corporation explained, was despite sustaining the success recorded by its enhanced crude oil evacuation and oil lifting in June, 2017 following re-opening of Forcados Oil Terminal (FOT) on March 31, 2017.
The NNPC called on Nigerians to continue to support the corporation in the area of security with a view to ensuring zero vandalism of the nation’s oil and gas infrastructures.
The June 2017 report is the 23rd edition in the series which seeks to sustain effective communication with the agency’s stakeholders in line with its commitment to becoming more accountable, responsive and transparent organisation.
Adedapo Adesanya