NNPC reduces crude lifting firms from 43 to 16

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
has reduced the number of companies that will handle the
contract of lifting Nigeria’s crude from 43 to 16. The
drastic reduction is part of the Corporation’s
transformation agenda aimed at keeping its operation
small, efficient, transparent and reduction of cost.
NNPC spokesman, Ohi Alegbe said the decision is a novel
move to instill transparency and accountability in the
award of the annual Crude Oil Term Contract for
2015/2016.
He said:
“NNPC yesterday mapped out measures to execute
the 2015/2016 award of contract to companies for
the evacuation of Nigeria’s crude oil equity from
the various crude and condensate production
arrangements.”
In a statement, NNPC stated that it was part of measures
to optimise the marketing of Nigeria’s crude oil and secure
new market potentials. It said the number of off-takers
for the proposed 2015/2016 term contract which would
emerge after a planned rigorous competitive bid exercise
has been pruned from 43 to 16.
The statement read:
“In the days ahead, we shall place advertisement
for the 2015/2016 Term Contracts and the
publication will run for one month in major
National and International print media to ensure
effective message penetration. Later the guidelines
for the selection of new off-takers would be
published and subsequently a special bid evaluation
committee would be constituted to conduct due
diligence on successful applicants.”
He also stated that apart from Oando, Calson, MRS, BP/
Nigermed and Total Trading that were earlier selected to
bid for the new Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA),
invitation was also extended to Forte Oil and Mobil to bid
for the OPA contract.
The Nation