Nigeria to adopt Saudi Aramco security model to protect pipelines

Nigeria to adopt Saudi Aramco security model to protect pipelines

Nigeria is adopting a security infrastructure similar to that of Saudi Aramco to protect its oil pipelines and curb theft, Nairametrics news portal reported, citing Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari.

The new security architecture will be unveiled soon to help stop massive oil pipeline vandalism that has resulted in the country losing 30% of produced volumes to crude thieves.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, has been unable to meet its OPEC quota since early this year due to rampant theft and vandalism.

According to its statistics agency, output declined to 1.43 million barrels a day in the three months through June, the lowest quarterly production since 2016.

The government revealed earlier that the country had lost about $1 billion in revenue to pipeline vandals and oil thieves in the first quarter of 2022.

Earlier this month, policy advocacy group Nigeria Economic Summit Group said the country was not benefitting from high global oil prices, primarily due to oil theft and pipeline vandalisation.

Local media had reported that Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited would shortly start monitoring its pipelines and wellheads in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria through drones.

(Editing by Seban Scaria [email protected] )

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