TheCable

The rebirth of militancy in the Niger Delta has reduced Nigeria’s production capacity by 140,000 barrels per day (bpd).

While Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has shut its Bayelsa facility which produces 65,000 bpd, Aiteo, which operates the Nembe Creek Trunk Line has also stopped its 75,000 bpd facility in Bayelsa.

Earlier attacks in NAOC oilfield on May 18 and 24 resulted in the shutdown of some 5,200 barrels of its equity share of oil output.

A spokesperson for Agip confirmed the development in a short e-mail response to NAN on Sunday.

“The total deferred production due to the attack is 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily,” the e-mail read.

“I can confirm that. There is no further impact on production, since all production from the swamp area has already been stopped days ago.”

According to crude production figures provided by the oil firm, the country is losing about $3.12 million in revenue each day its facility remains out of production.

Also, Shola Omole, spokesman for Aiteo said the Nembe Creek Trunk Line which came under attack by Niger Delta Avengers on May 28, conveyed crude to Bonny export terminal, had been shut.

Omole explained that the 75,000 bpd was deferred as the line remained out of service.

On Thursday, Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum, said Nigeria was producing 1.6 million barrels per day which excludes further production outages due to attack on Agip, Chevron and Shell.