Militants destroy Trans-Niger pipeline, Nigeria loses 150,000bpd

Suspected militants on Monday vandalised the Trans-Niger pipeline in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta region, reducing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s crude oil production by 150,000 barrels per day. According to the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, the country has not been able to sustain the recent gains recorded in crude oil production as a result of the rupturing of pipelines in the region. When asked if the corporation had been able to sustain the 2.2 million bpd crude production that it announced last week, Baru told journalists in Abuja, “Unfortunately, we have not been able to sustain it because we have challenges.” As I am talking to you, this morning (Monday), the Trans-Niger pipeline has been breached in Ogoniland, and that is 150,000 barrels of oil that have been knocked off. That has been fairly an issue with that area Power generation falls below 3,000MW, seven plants idle – The nation’s power generation has fallen below the 3,000 megawatts mark as the number of idle power plants increased to eight on Sunday from five on Friday.