the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has signed a contract to procure drones to monitor its oil pipelines and wellheads in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
SPDC External Relations General Manager Igo Weli made it known at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
He said the company decided to acquire drones due to frequent attacks on its pipelines, which led to huge revenue losses from the activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
According to him, oil thieves drilled into SPDC’s pipelines and wellheads and thereafter redirected crude oil to its illegal refining sites, thereby denying the company needed revenue.
“To this end, we have signed a contract and will soon start using drones to monitor our pipelines, wellheads and other facilities.
“Shell does a lot to protect its assets in Nigeria,” he said.
Weli said frequent attacks on its oil and gas facilities by organized criminals had worsened over the years, causing the company to spend huge funds to protect its facilities.
“Some of the other extraordinary things that we do as a company are flying helicopters every day to check pipelines, which is a huge cost to the company.
“Even when we see illegal refineries, we can’t do much more than draw the authorities’ attention to it.
“The SPDC builds cages and installs technology to protect their wellheads, just like we burglar-proof our homes to protect them from thieves.
“This is worrying and should worry everyone, understanding that oil and gas is where the country generates huge foreign exchange and creates jobs for millions,” he added.
The SPDC general manager said the company was also collaborating with law enforcement agencies by sharing data on the locations and activities of illegal bunkers and refining sites.
He said the data sharing was done to ensure the threat was dealt with decisively, to improve the business and working environment.
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Weli said governments at the state and federal levels had been doing their best to address the threat, but more needed to be done.
“That’s why we’ve been talking about this over the years, going so far as to open an oil spill website in 2011.”
On the company’s reopening of the Trans Niger pipeline closure in March, Mr. Weli said the company would only reopen the pipeline when the facility is protected from attack.
(YAYA)