Damaged pipeline to be ready in some weeks -- Kupolokun
NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD), Funsho Kupolokun says the damaged crude oil pipeline at Escravos will be ready in the next couple of weeks.
``We are working hard to repair the facility so that pumping of crude will resume to Warri and Kaduna refineries,'' Kupolokun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tuesday in Abuja.
Youths in the area had prevented engineers from carrying out repairs on the facility which was vandalised in February last year.
The damaged pipeline transports crude to both the Warri and Kaduna refineries, forcing the two refineries to stop operations in the last one year owing to the lack of crude.
The GMD said the NNPC had appealed to the youths in the area to allow engineers access to the pipeline for repairs.
He said the closure of the Warri and Kaduna refineries was one of the reasons for the current shortage of petrol in the country.
Kupolokun said the two refineries were producing some 18 million litres of petrol daily before the vandalism.
He also announced that the damaged portion of product pipeline in Mosimi had been repaired, adding that supply and distribution
of petroleum products would soon improve nationwide.
Kupolokun said government and the NNPC were now addressing the perceived neglect of the Niger Delta over the years.
``Today, we are witnessing infrastructure development in the Niger Delta, dedicated recruitment efforts, provision of petroleum products through the installation of floating mega-stations,'' he added.
Kupolokun said efforts were on to monetise gas and end its flaring to protect the environment, as well as involvement of stakeholders in development effort.
He urged the communities to embrace dialogue and peace for sustainable transformation of the area in particular and the nation at large.