Page 14 - AfrOil Week 20 2022

AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

Those reports conclude that more than lawsuit as a necessity. “Combating the corrup-
NGN1.48 trillion ($3.56bn) worth of state funds tion epidemic in the oil sector would alleviate
designated for use at the four oil-processing poverty, improve access of Nigerians to basic
plants owned by Nigerian National Petroleum public goods and services, and enhance the abil-
Co. Ltd (NNPC Ltd) had gone missing between ity of the government to meet its human rights
2015 and 2020. This sum includes funding for and anti-corruption obligations,” it commented.
maintenance and repair work as well as regular “Despite the country’s enormous oil wealth,
operating expenses, the NGO said in documents ordinary Nigerians have derived very little ben-
filed in the Federal High Court in Lagos. efit from their own natural wealth and resources,
SEPAR noted in its petition that NNPC’s four primarily because of widespread grand corrup-
refineries have remained idle for years despite tion and the impunity of perpetrators.”
the Nigerian federal government’s practice of NNPC Ltd controls four oil-processing
providing ample funding. It said the country plants: one in Warri, one in Kaduna and two in
had suffered as a result, as the state’s generosity Port Harcourt. Altogether, these four plants have
had not succeeded in bringing the facilities back a throughput capacity of 445,000 barrels per day
on stream to eliminate Nigeria’s dependence on (bpd). ™
imported fuels.
Under these circumstances, the NGO asked
the court to issue an order of mandamus com-
pelling Buhari to investigate the spending of
NGN1.48 trillion on the four refineries between
2015 and 2020, as well as alleged mismanage-
ment of public funding for the operation and
maintenance of the plants since 1999. Addition-
ally, it requested a second order of mandamus
under which the president would be required to
prosecute any individual suspected of responsi-
bility for importation and distribution of con-
taminated petroleum products in Nigeria and to
identify and ensure access to legal remedies for
those affected by such incidents.
SERAP said in its petition that it saw the Two of NNPC’s idle refineries are in Port Harcourt (Photo: NNPC)

African Energy Chamber, Mozambique

share ideas on gas development

MOZAMBIQUE THE African Energy Chamber (AEC) has said it case for gas monetisation and domestic utilisa-
expects Mozambique to make a big contribution tion above all else.”
towards meeting regional and global demand
for natural gas. Resource base
In a statement published on Tuesday (May Mozambique has an estimated 180 trillion cubic
11), the Johannesburg-headquartered AEC feet (5.1 trillion cubic metres) of recoverable gas.
noted that its executive chairman NJ Ayuk had Some of this gas is in smaller onshore and off-
met with Carlos Zacarias, Mozambique’s new shore fields in the southern part of the country,
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, in but most of it lies offshore in the Rovuma basin.
Maputo. It reported that both parties had agreed This basin is home to several huge fields that
to work together to encourage investment, help have been assigned to international oil compa-
kick-start development, foster sustainable eco- nies (IOCs) such as ExxonMobil (US), TotalEn-
nomic growth in southern Africa and alleviate ergies (France) and Eni (Italy) together with
energy poverty in the region. their partners.
“With Europe urgently seeking alterna- Most of the output from these sites, which
tive gas supplies to ease the reliance on Rus- lie off the coast of the northern Cabo Delgado
sian energy and over 600mn people currently province, will be exported to Europe and Asia.
living without access to electricity in Africa, However, a portion of the production will be
Mozambique’s gas could help meet demand, utilised locally.
both regionally and internationally,” said the Meanwhile, Mozambique has launched a
statement. “During the meeting, the minister sixth hydrocarbon licensing round that includes
emphasised this very point, making a strong five sites in the Rovuma basin.

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 20 18•May•2022