By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE NIGERIAN National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s crude oil production could reach up to three million barrels per day (bpd) if stakeholders in the oil sector work together.
Currently, the country produces an average of 1.3 million bpd, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, made this statement during an interactive session with reporters covering the national assembly in Abuja on Saturday.
He said production levels have recently risen to 1.7 million bpd, following a directive by President Bola Tinubu to security agencies.
Soneye emphasized the potential for further growth, stating, “Three million barrels of oil production per day is achievable in Nigeria if all stakeholders, including security agencies, both government and private, oil companies, and host communities, collaborate effectively.”
He added that improved cooperation in the fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism would create an environment conducive to achieving production targets between 2.5 to 3 million bpd.
“At a time, we felt that Nigeria was in trouble as far as oil theft was concerned, but the intensity of the war against it has allayed our fears,” he said.
Murtala Muhammad, NNPC’s Deputy Manager at the Command and Control Centre, revealed that in the past six months, over 8,000 illegal refineries and 5,800 illegal oil pipelines have been discovered and dismantled.
