XPost: sac.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, soc.culture.african.american   
   XPost: alt.politics.obama   
   From: fail.fail.fail@nbc.com   
      
   NNPC to deploy drones against oil theft   
      
   SIX electricity generating plants have been shut down across the   
   country, causing worry that the relative stability in power   
   supply in recent times may be short-lived.   
      
   It was gathered that the situation has made power generation to   
   fall uncontrollably to about 4,652 Mega Watts (MW). The   
   development came as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation   
   (NNPC) vowed to eradicate crude oil theft in eight months in the   
   country.   
      
   The daily power generation report issued by the Transmission   
   Company of Nigeria (TCN) and obtained by The Guardian yesterday   
   showed that only 16 of the 25 existing power generating plants   
   in the country are currently running.   
      
   Besides the fact that most of the power plants are running in   
   partial capacities, it was learnt that the affected six   
   facilities were shut down due to either gas shortage, under   
   rehabilitation, technical damage or fire outbreak.   
      
   The affected plants are Afam IV-V, A.E.S power, ASCO, Omoku,   
   Trans Amadi, and Rivers Independent Power Plant. Besides, Egbin   
   power generation dropped to 693MW due to the shutdown of ST 1for   
   maintenance, and high frequency occasioned by the distribution   
   company’s inability to pick its load allocation.   
      
   Generation from Ibom Power also reduced to 53.8MW due to guide   
   vane problem, GT 2 maintenance and inability of Port Harcourt   
   Disco to pick load allocation. Geregu was reduced to 188MW due   
   to gas constraints and spinning reserve.   
      
   Omoku was completely down due to collapsed towers on Omoku/PH   
   mains 132kV transmission line. Two units from Trans Amadi (GT2   
   and 4) were said to have tripped off due to reversed power,   
   while the other two units (GT1 and 3) were faulty.   
      
   AES completely lacked gas supply. As the nation’s generation   
   hits 4,652MW, the estimates show that a peak demand of about   
   14,630 is actually required for Nigeria to enjoy stable supply.   
      
   This, according to the report, shows that the country is having   
   a shortfall of about 9,978MW to meet national demand. Meanwhile,   
   the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),   
   Sam Amadi, has assured that electricity generation would hit   
   6000MW by December.   
      
   Amadi said the commission was working relentlessly to ensure   
   that generation and transmission companies improve on their   
   services by providing adequate power to Nigerians.   
      
   He linked the problem of electricity in Nigeria to scarcity of   
   gas supply. “We saw in June how generation capacity went as low   
   as 2000MW, but later went up to 4.700MW. “We set a benchmark of   
   at least 5000MW, but today we are at 5000 MW or more, hoping to   
   reach 6000MW before December,” he said.   
      
   To actualise its plans to end oil theft, the NNPC has introduced   
   fresh vista to the fight against menace and pipeline vandalism   
   in the country. Nigeria is said to be losing over 200,000   
   barrels of crude oil per day to theft and pipeline vandalism.   
      
   Specifically, a recent report by the Nigeria Extractive   
   Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said the nation lost   
   over 136 million barrels of crude oil estimated at $10.9 billion   
   through pilfering and sabotage from 2009 to 2011.   
      
   NEITI added that Shell, Eni and Chevron recorded a loss of about   
   160 million barrels of crude oil with an export value of $13.7   
   billion between 2009 and 2012.   
      
   NNPC said in a statement signed by its Group General Manager,   
   Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe, that it is working   
   towards deployment of drones across the nation’s territorial   
   waters to monitor the inward and outward movement of oil bearing   
   vessels.   
      
   According to the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Ibe   
   Kachikwu, the corporation is working on a range of far-reaching   
   options designed to end the ugly episodes of crude and petroleum   
   products theft within the next eight months. “We are launching   
   an armada of approaches which will include incorporation of   
   drones to check movements of vessels within our territorial   
   waters.   
      
   We are looking at the current logistical nightmares of changing   
   staffing at the loading bay of crude oil export terminals   
   virtually every 90 days.   
      
   We are trying to equip the navy sufficiently though they are   
   very well equipped in terms of skill set but not in terms of   
   arsenal for patrols within the maritime area,” he said.   
      
   On the issue of pipeline protection, the GMD explained that   
   though the corporation is working assiduously with the law   
   enforcement agencies to increase the presence of military   
   personnel in the area, the ultimate security for the critical   
   oil and gas assets lies squarely with the host communities. “The   
   best security for these pipelines lies with the communities.   
      
   We are trying to create enough incentives for them to see these   
   pipelines as their own,” he added. Lamenting the impact of oil   
   theft on the smooth operations of the nation’s refineries, the   
   NNPC boss warned that if left unchecked, the menace could   
   invariably make it impossible for the NNPC to operate the   
   refineries. “Most of our product pipelines are ruptured and   
   attacked frequently.   
      
   For instance, between June 2014 and June 2015, we recorded about   
   3, 500 to 4,000 attempts at the various products pipelines   
   across the country.   
      
   In addition to that, the pipelines that are supposed to convey   
   crude to the refineries are perpetually hacked, ’’ he said.   
   Kachikwu noted that the resort to the use of marine vessels to   
   convey crude to the refineries is coming at heavy cost. “What   
   this means is that no matter what we do with the refineries   
   today, unless that is solved, we really are going nowhere, we   
   cannot operate the refineries.”   
      
   He explained that beyond the loss of crude and products, the   
   incidents of oil theft have also claimed a huge number of human   
   lives. He informed that in the last three years, a total of 350   
   persons including NNPC staff, police officers and community   
   members have been killed as a result of activities of oil   
   thieves.   
      
   http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/09/electricity-generation-   
   slumps-as-six-power-plants-stop-running/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)