Nnpc News

FPSO leasing company BW Offshore has signed a short-term extension for its Abo FPSO.The extension was signed with Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd, a subsidiary of the Italian oil firm Eni, and runs until August 14, 2023.BW Offshore has been in talks to divest the FPSO, which is operating at the Abo field offshore Nigeria, and is seen as non-core to its FPSO fleet. This extension is the latest in a series of short-term extensions announced for the Abo FPSO recently.The ABO FPSO started producing in April 2003.

Nigeria's state-owned oil firm NNPC Ltd said on Monday an 800,000-liter (211,338-U.S. gallon) vessel carrying stolen crude had been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon and would be destroyed as a deterrent to oil theft.Crude theft from pipelines and wells in the Niger Delta has hobbled the country's output in recent years and is one of the biggest challenges to confront new President Bola Tinubu.NNPC said the oil was stolen from a well in south western Ondo state.

Equatorial Guinea has detained an oil tanker capable of carrying 2 million barrels after it attempted to load in Nigeria without proper paperwork, both countries said this week.The Nigerian navy said in a statement that the Heroic Idun, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), was attempting to load oil at the Akpo SBM on Aug. 8 without due clearance from state oil company NNPC, and that it "resisted arrest" when ordered to stop.It was not immediately clear who was the vessel's owner or operator.

The region could be a key growth market for the oil and gas industry going forward, writes Joshua Belo-Osagie, Maritime Strategies International (MSI).Improving sentiment surrounds energy market prospects offshore West Africa, the positive mood underpinned by higher oil prices, reformed regulatory frameworks in key markets including Angola and Nigeria and the discovery of major prospects off the Ivory Coast and Namibia.In addition, the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have only reinforced some of these pre-existing dynamics…

Two tankers carrying gasoline loaded in Antwerp, Belgium, have turned back to their load-port after initially being destined for Lagos in Nigeria, Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking and sources said on Friday.The two tankers, STI Symphony and Velos Diamantis, turned back in last week. The U-turns happened after Nigeria rejected other gasoline cargoes loaded in Antwerp for containing too much methanol.Reuters was not able to immediately confirm the methanol content in these two cargoes or why they turned back.Earlier this week…

Freight rates eased further on Friday, especially for the largest oil tankers, promising some recovery for West African oil prices which had touched multi-year lows. VLCC freight costs eased more rapidly than smaller Suezmaxes, making it less advantageous to ship on the latter. Prices for Suezmaxes were estimated around world scale 190-200, with one European buyer estimating further relief to around 150 by the end of next week.Nigeria's NNPC cut its November official selling price for Bonny Light crude to dated Brent plus 58 cents per barrel and for Qua Iboe to plus 63 cents per barrel…

With greenfield investments in Nigeria, Egypt, Mozambique and elsewhere reaching nearly $103 billion this year, it is clear that liquefaction is viewed as the most profitable strategy for realizing Africa’s gas potential, said Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).Africa is an exciting frontier in the global natural gas sector. The continent holds 7.1 percent of proven global gas reserves and is expected to contribute nearly 10 percent of global production growth through to 2024.Nigeria accounts for over 50 percent of current LNG production capacity on the continent. With October 2019 seeing a final investment decision on the $12 billion…

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has called on the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) to ensure fairness and balance in its reportage of piracy issues on Nigeria’s territorial waters.Dakuku regretted what he called the exaggeration of reports on incidences on the country’s waterways by the IMB, a specialised department of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) dedicated to fighting maritime crime and malpractice.The DG noted that the Agency had put mechanisms in place to reduce piracy to the barest minimum. These, he said, include investing in the satellite surveillance system…

Nigeria's push to keep its citizens stocked with fuel is drawing close to a million tonnes a month of gasoline from Europe - including now on a rare Suezmax vessel booked by Vitol. The country is working overtime to replenish its tanks after shortages and queues popped up across the nation of more than 180 million in early December - sparking a scramble for state oil company NNPC. The restocking comes as gasoline demand in other regions was waning in winter, and has helped boost fuel and refining margins in Europe just as the continent's refineries prepare to shut for seasonal maintenance. The Vitol-booked, 115,000-tonne cargo aboard the newly built Sea Icon is sailing to West Africa from the Latvian port of Ventspils, according to Reuters ship tracking and trading sources.

Babs Omotowa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), has raised alarm over Nigeria’s dwindling investments in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), according to a report in Thisday. He noted that with no new investments, Nigeria would possibly drop from her current position of the 4th world’s largest exporter of LNG to 10th position by 2020. NLNG had earned $90 billion revenue since 1999 and that it has elevated Nigeria to number four exporter of LNG in the world, after Qatar, Malaysia and Australia. Omotowa, however, said with no new investments to support Nigeria’s position in the global LNG market, the country’s position would possibly drop to 10th by 2020. NLNG posted a 36.6% drop in its revenue in 2015 due to declining oil and gas prices.

Golar LNG Limited announced today that it has executed a firm contract to provide West African Gas Limited (WAGL) with floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) services to support their liquefied natural gas (LNG) import operations in Ghana. WAGL is jointly owned by subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 60 percent and Sahara Energy Resource Ltd with 40 percent. The joint venture is developing an LNG import project at the port of Tema on the coast of Ghana West Africa with a planned start up in the second quarter of 2016. The FSRU will be moored inside the port at a new jetty being built by WAGL. The contract will be for an initial period of five years with the option for WAGL to extend for a further five years.

Royal Dutch Shell has asked ship owners exporting its Nigerian oil to sign a "letter of comfort" (LoC) to guarantee it is not stolen, according to an email from the company seen by Reuters. In July, state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) banned more than 100 tankers from Nigeria's waters, citing a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, who wants to trace and recover what he calls "mind-boggling" sums stolen from the oil sector. Last month, the NNPC lifted the ban but asked ship owners to sign a letter of comfort to "guarantee to indemnify" it against any illicit use of their vessel. This led some owners to reject pending bookings.

Nigeria's latest effort to combat theft could imperil its oil income lifeline, compounding the damage the crude price fall has done to its finances, access to dollars and imports. Oil traders and shipping brokers said a newly implemented "letter of comfort" requirement under which vessel owners must sign a guarantee that their ships will not be used for theft has made it more difficult and expensive to load Nigerian crude, putting some buyers off. A copy of the letter draft seen by Reuters asked vessel owners to "guarantee to indemnify" the government and national oil company NNPC against any illicit use of their vessel, which led some owners to reject pending bookings. Traders say others are refusing future requests for now.

Nigeria's state oil company has cancelled its contract for the delivery of crude to the country's refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, it said on Wednesday. Oil sales account for about 70 percent of government revenue in Nigeria, Africa's top crude producer, but the country imports most of the fuel used by its 170 million inhabitants because of its inefficient, ageing refineries. "The corporation has cancelled the current contract due to exorbitant cost and inappropriate process of engagement," a Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) statement said, adding that the aim is to cut costs and improve efficiency. Overhauling the energy sector in Africa's biggest economy has been a priority of President Muhammadu Buhari…

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG) has shipped 3,200 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes by Q2 of 2015, since it began international gas exports in 1989, the managing director, Babs Omotowa said, reports Business Day. Omotowa, said, the gas company during the period under review (1989 to Q2 2015) has converted about 133 billion cubic metres (bcm) or 4.68 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of associated gas (AG) to exports as LNG and natural gas liquids (NGLs), thus helping to reduce gas flaring by upstream companies. NLNG has a total of 23 ships on long-term charter for its six-train operation. All 23 ships are utilised on an integrated scheduling basis and load at NLNG Terminal in Bonny…

Tender deals helped to liven up a lacklustre West African crude oil market on Thursday, though overall demand remained weak. Indian Oil Corporation bought four cargoes of West African oil, traders said, nibbling at an overhang of unsold September cargoes just a few days before Angola's October loading programme comes to market. Traders were watching to see whether there could be an impact on Chinese imports of West African oil after two huge explosions in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin killed at least 50 people, including at least a dozen fire fighters. One trader said there was no immediate impact for oil cargoes already in the area.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has replaced the top four executives of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, according to his office said Saturday, speaking on one of the most powerful institutions in the country and source of 80 percent of state revenues. Joseph Thlama Dawha replaces Andrew Yakubu as CEO of NNPC Group. Reuben Abati, spokesman cabinet Goodluck Jonathan, declined to give further details. A senior source in the presidency, who requested anonymity, said it…

A strike by Nigeria's oil unions is not having any immediate impact on crude oil exports from Africa's top exporter, despite moving into a third day, spokesmen for leading operator Shell and Nigeria LNG said. Nigerian oil unions say the strike could affect exports if no agreement is reached with the government. The spokesman for NLNG, the gas exporter which is run jointly by Shell and the government, said he did not foresee any impact from the strike, which began on Tuesday. The dispute is over pensions and a lack of crude supplied to refineries. Also indicating that the strike has yet to have any impact, the Qua Iboe <BFO-QUA> grade of crude oil for November export came to market on Thursday, on schedule.

Nigeria's state oil company NNPC has banned 113 oil tankers from the country's waters, citing a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, in what traders said could be part of efforts to crack down on illegal crude oil trading. The vessels, which include mainly VLCC crude oil tankers, are banned from calling at Nigerian crude oil terminals and also from Nigerian waters with immediate effect, said a letter circulated by NNPC, "pending a notice to the contrary by government". The letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters and which gave no reason for the ban, was dated July 15. NNPC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Since taking office in May, Buhari has been working to fulfil a campaign promise to tackle corruption, particularly in the oil industry.

Intertanko has issued a strong protest against Nigeria's decision to ban 113 tankers from its coast. Nigeria's state oil company NNPC has recently banned 113 oil tankers from the country's waters, citing a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, in what traders said could be part of efforts to crack down on illegal crude oil trading. In a letter to Gbenga O. White questioned why these particular ships had been banned, with many on the list having never even traded to the West African nation before. It noted that no reference was given to policies and requirements relating to the ban or evidence of why individual vessels had been banned. The letter added: “Many of these vessels have not traded to Nigeria for a number of years; some have never been there.

A ban on 113 oil tankers by Nigerian state oil company NNPC must be lifted immediately as no grounds have been given for the measure, the global oil tanker industry association said in a letter of protest. NNPC issued a letter on July 15, citing a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, which said the vessels, mainly VLCC crude oil tankers, were banned from calling at Nigerian crude oil terminals and also from Nigerian waters with immediate effect. Industry association INTERTANKO, whose independent members own the majority of the world's tanker fleet, said in a letter to NNPC, dated July 22, that there were no "evidence or grounds" given for the ban.

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) expects to take delivery of four LNG carrier ships before year-end and another two next year, its chief executive said, positioning the state-backed gas exporter to expand its share of the growing market. NLNG signed agreements with South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2013 to acquire six LNG carrier ships, costing more than $1.2 billion, to boost its fleet of 23. It had tapped South Korea Export and Import Bank and other lenders to fund the construction, CEO Babs Omotowa said. Omotowa said the global market for LNG - natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid form, which shrinks the volume and makes it easier to store and ship - was forecast to grow to 430 million tonnes per year by 2030 from 230 million now.

The Nigerian president's sudden, unexpected and seemingly unilateral decision to ban nearly 100 oil tankers from the country's waters has sown confusion in the operations of Africa's largest crude exporter. The edict directly from President Muhammadu Buhari's office appeared to be part of a campaign pledge to crack down on oil industry corruption and theft. But the disarray it has caused, even three weeks on, underscores the problems Buhari faces in trying, as an oil industry outsider, to tackle problems in the sector head on. "It's a mess," one trader said of the ban. Buhari has kept the oil portfolio for himself for now, and said that he would not appoint ministers until September.