Stakeholders in the management of the oil and gas sector have called on the Federal Government to implement the recommendations in the report of the National Summit on the Integration of Artisanal/Modular Refinery Operations into the In-Country Oil Refining Programme of the Oil and Gas Sector.
At an emergency meeting convened by the Office of the presidency through the Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang in Abuja, the stakeholders stressed the need for a review of the Petroleum Refining Regulations of 1974 including other relevant laws which will enable the establishment of artisanal refineries.
The emergency meeting was called to address the soot problem in Rivers State and other environmental pollution caused by artisanal refining activities across the Niger Delta.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, Director General/Chief Executive, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Idris Musa, the Director, Environmental Assessment Department/Federal Ministry of Environment, Director, Upstream Department, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Director/Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Environment ODEM, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Senior Planning Officer, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
The communique read in part, “That there is the need for various Organizations that have the crude oil refining technology to interact with Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulation Authority in order for them to make presentations on their available technologies, for regulations within the law.
“That the team should further engage with the bodies of artisanal refining representatives for the purpose of reviewing the current state of affairs and proffer solution to the environmental and economic challenge, amongst others.
“That engagement be made with the Governors and Governments of impacted states as well as other sub-national structures for a further solution to the challenges, to curb re-pollution by the models adopted by the sub-nationals.
“That there is the need for the review of the Petroleum Refining Regulations of 1974 and other relevant laws to accommodate the establishment of artisanal refineries.
“That there is the need for the creation of a database of those trained in related fields by the presidential Amnesty Programme, as well as of Petroleum Training Institute, Warri, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and other relevant institutions to harness their expertise.
“That there is the need to explore the possibility of funding the pilot scheme from Central Bank of Nigeria, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission windows, amongst others.”
The communique also asserted the need to follow the implementation process of the Artisanal Oil Refining Programme to avoid a return to the situation at hand in the Niger Delta.
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