Oil workers want FG to train illegal refinery operators

 Advocate for pipeline protection agency

Workers in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector have advice Federal Government to assemble and train operators of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The workers under the auspices of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in a position paper also said if a pipeline protection agency is put in place, the frequent cases of pipelines vandalism would be minimal.
“There is need to ensure that adequate security is provided to secure the over 5,135 kilometres stretch of pipelines across the country. Provision of adequate security will enable crude supply to the refineries and products move freely from refineries to the depots.
“Government should involve the pipeline host communities in the protection and security of pipelines as well as thwart the activities of the vandals.

We have on several occasions demanded that the government must ensure optimal performance of the existing four state owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna and also put in place machinery for the construction of new refineries in the country to ensure adequate production for domestic consumption and possible export.
“The refineries’ epileptic state has given room for massive importation of petrol which is a big weight on our foreign exchange. For us to stop exporting jobs outside our shores, the Nation’s four refineries must be made to work optimally and that will go a long way to reduce the heavy cost incurred in importation of petrol.”
The oil workers also urged government to ensure adequate and prompt supply of crude, which is a major feedstock to the refineries, adding that government must grant adequate financial and administrative mandates to the management of the refineries to ensure their effective and efficient operations.

“Government should ensure adequate and periodic Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries as at when due. Also, there should be regular overhaul of the refineries plants. Roads to the refineries and depots should be rehabilitated to ensure adequate haulage of the products,” they said.
The unions further said government should also put machinery in place to encourage private sector participation in refining the crude locally.
“We demand that the government should consider granting some incentives to genuine private investors that intend to invest in local refining of petroleum products.
“There should be an urgent need to establish modular refineries across major cities in the country. This will also go a long way to reduce importation of the product,” the union stated.

They also called for a stakeholder’s forum to look into the issues raised by all parties in order to find a panacea to the challenges without hurting the masses.
According to the unions, “We suggest that operators of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta should be assembled and trained on better refining and this will create meaningful jobs for them and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
“Finally, Government must set up a Pipelines Protection Agency that will guarantee adequate and safe products supplies from the refineries to the various depots in the country.”