TheCable

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced the lifting of the embargo restricting 113 vessels from engaging in crude oil/gas loading activities in any of the terminals within Nigerian territorial waters.

Ohi Alegbe, group general manager, group public affairs division of NNPC released a statement to explain that the lifting of the ban is subject to the receipt of letters of comfort from all terminal operators, oil companies and off-takers of Nigerian oil and gas as guarantee that nominated vessels, pending the outcome of detailed investigation, are unencumbered and would not be utilised for any illegal activity whatsoever.

“The corporation noted that in view of the above, the federal government has approved the establishment of an inter-agency committee made up of the Department of State Services, DSS, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Nigerian Navy, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and the NNPC with the mandate to collect data and investigate the activities of the banned vessels within Nigerian territorial waters,” he said.

“The inter-agency committee will appraise the culpability or otherwise of each of the vessels in the time past and advise appropriately.”

The ban was announced in a memo by Gbenga Komolafe, then the group general manager, crude oil marketing division, directing all terminals operators to bar the oil tankers from movement within the Nigerian waters until further notice.

Although no reason was given for the ban, it was believed to be due to the difference in the quantity of crude loaded by the vessels and that discharged.