October edition by Sweetcrude reports

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Labour ELUONYE KONYEGWUAEHI

il sector workers are putting final touches to a plan to shut down the industry due to alleged anti-labour stance of employers in the sector. According to them, some employers have embarked on victimisation of labour leaders due to their involvement in unionism while aiming to exterminate unionism in the industry. because of union activities, others have widened the scope of unfair labour practices aimed at killing the unions in the sector. This is the outcome of a recent joint meeting of leaders of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, in Enugu. At the meeting, leaders of the two unions urged the Federal Government to intervene on the matter either directly or through relevant agencies to check the excesses of employers in the sector. They noted, for instance, that the international oil companies operating in the country were increasingly victimising labour leaders on flimsy excuses Comrade Achese Igwe, c h a i r m a n o f NUPENGASSAN - a fusion of the two oil industry workers' union - cited the cases of Deputy President of NUPENG, Comrade Asuquo Okon, who had been transferred by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, from Lagos to Port Harcourt and Port Harcourt Zonal Secretary of PENGASSAN, Mrs. Elo Victor-Ogbonna, who was transferred from PortHarcourt to Lagos. As part of plans for the industrial action, a joint National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the joint upon would soon be held to chart the way forward. "It is sad to note that NUPENG members in the formal sector are at the receiving end, as we are faced with negotiating redundancies almost on a daily basis now. Comrades, it has not been easy for the union, as our members are depleting on a daily basis

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Oil industry workers threaten showdown over unfair practices

Oil workers b e c a u s e o f t h e s e retrenchments, redundancies, downsizing and harsh stance on even unionising the members left in the new arrangement," Achese told the meeting. He added: “The practice of industrial relations has

assumed a new dimension that portends danger for the union, with the politics now involved in privatisation, divestments of onshore oil fields hitherto owned by these big multinational oil companies. This also brings us to the issue of outsourcing

and casualisation, which has become a cankerworm and wound that has refused to heal. "There is, therefore, fragile peace in the industrial relations atmosphere in the oil and gas industry. The time bomb is waiting to blow fully, despite the pockets of actions

lately. “Casualisation and contract staffing have become a social phenomenon and a hydra-headed evil in labour relations in the industry.

NUPENG Strike: Govt to fixed bad roads Q2 next year MKPOIKANA UDOMA

he Federal Government has assured the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Union, NUPENG, that the poor state of roads, especially the Eleme road in Rivers State, that led to a oneweek strike by the tanker drivers' arm of the union, would be addressed in the second quarter of next year. The strike by the union led to the scarcity of fuel in Rivers State and some other states in the south-

south and south-eastern parts of the country. Announcing the suspension of the strike, The National Industrial Officer of NUPENG, Comrade B a s s e y H a r r y, t o l d SweetCrudeReports in a telephone interview that the suspension of the strike was necessitated by the intervention of the Federal Government. “We suspended the strike because the government has come up to say that all the bad roads in question, particularly the Eleme road (which was the main reason for the strike) will be fixed on or before the second

quarter of next year. "The government has promised to immediately swing into action and make sure that the road (Eleme road) is passable for now, but will completely fix it up on or before the second quarter of next year,” he said. Comrade Bassey also warned that if the government did not live up to it promises, the petroleum union would embark on a full blown strike without compromise. “Let me make it clear that if the government does not live up to their promise, we will go on a full blown strike by next year. Do you know

that apart from Abuja, the only place you have good roads is Akwa Ibom? The government needs to do something to address this ugly situation. Since they have made a promise, we in NUPENG will just be waiting to see,” Harry added. It should however be recalled that the oneweek strike embarked on by NUPENG was due to the dilapidated state of the Akpajo-Eleme axis of the East-West federal highway, which leads to the Port Harcourt Refinery and the NNPC depot.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

Idle factory ELUONYE KONYEGWUAEHI

he Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, is lamenting that 54 years after the nation's independence, the country is yet to see stable power as it bemoaned massive job losses and closures of factories resulting therefrom. It also lamented the huge funds pumped into the sector over the years, with no tangible result to show for it. President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, s p e c i f i c a l l y, e x p r e s s e d sadness that despite the government reforms and huge funds spent, the nation’s power sector is still confronted by several daunting challenges making stable power supply to Nigerians impossible. According to TUC, these challenges include inadequate generation and usage of power capacity, ineffective regulation, vandalism, inadequate transmission and distribution facilities, overbilling, etc Kaigama, in a statement to mark Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary, recalled that “the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999 saw the government embarking on various i n f r a s t r u c t u r a l rehabilitation and

Inadequate Power: TUC bemoans 'massive job losses, closure of factories’ development programmes. The power sector reforms happen to be one of such, but the myriad of challenges that characterised the sector are still with us even now. These challenges include inadequate generation and usage of power capacity, ineffective regulation, vandalism, inadequate transmission and distribution

facilities, over-billing, etc". He stated that presumably, to improve on this unsavoury situation, the Federal Government announced an aggressive rehabilitation of power infrastructure, a major part of which is the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPP, that was expected to boost electricity generation

capacity by the opening of gas power stations across t h e c o u n t r y. O t h e r measures, according to him, i n c l u d e d t h e decentralisation and granting of licenses to separate Independent Power Producers, IPPs, the enactment of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, EPSRA, 2005. But, he

NNPC Board made up of incompetent people —Retirees

igerian National P e t r o l e u m Corporation, NNPC, retirees have alleged incompetence on the part of those currently sitting on the board of the state-owned oil company. The Retired Staff Association, RSA, of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation also said the board members lacked experience as it called for an immediate dissolution of the board. ”Since 2011, the Board has not met; this is really an incompetent board. Its committees supposed to put in place materials for the board to meet, unfortunately, they too, are not working,” the

president of RSA, Alhaji Ibrahim Abbam, said in Abuja. He added: ”The Board of the NNPC should be dissolved; its composition today is made up of purely, incompetent people who have no experience. "We should count sentiments out; how would you go and bring managers from outside and expect the organisation to strive? The crises we have in NNPC today is as a result of a very high turnover of poor management. We also need to say no Managing Director must stay for more than five years in office. "The mess that is ongoing in NNPC presently do not

happen in Malaysia and other oil producing countries of the world; if the present board continues like this for a longer time, I can only see the corporation going down the drain”. Alleging frequent sacking of competent staff and management, Abbam urged that the NNPC always looked inward, and promoted staff that were qualified and skilful to occupy management positions instead of looking outside to fill positions.

lamented that despite the reforms, the country still generates less than 4,000 Megawatts, a situation which, he said, has led to massive job losses due to closure of factories. "This in itself has occasioned unimaginable high crime rate. And we still have both retired and disengaged power sector workers awaiting payment of their gratuities and pensions with no hope in sight. The decay in electricity generation and distribution in the country in spite of the $16 billion spent by (exPresident Olusegun) O b a s a n j o administration and other huge budgetary expenditures devoted to the sector since 1999 is quite appalling,” he said. On the petroleum industry, he said: “It is mind-boggling that more than five decades after oil was discovered in the country we are yet to fix the sector even though it is the mainstay of the economy, generating over 80% of our revenue.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

Labour raises doubts over passage of PIB ELUONYE KONYEGWUAEHI

igeria's organised labour has expressed doubts over the passage of the nation's much-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, still stuck at the National Assembly after over two years of arrival at the legislative chambers. Expressing doubts that the Bill might eventually not be passed by the current national legislative body, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC's, Rivers State's chairman, Comrade Chika Onuegbu, maintained that even though the National Assembly appears to have increased the tempo for the passage, it was unlikely that the Bill would get passed before the expiration of the tenure of current Assembly. Onuegbu, who is the former Industrial Relations Officer of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said: "There are very strong concerns that the 2012 PIB, just like the previous PIBs, may not be passed by the 7th National Assembly due to vested interests. There are serious concerns that the 2012 PIB, just like the previous PIBs, may not be passed by this National Assembly due to vested interests. "While we are dithering in Nigeria, there are new oil discoveries all over Africa, drawing in investors just as new technology is making hitherto unreachable and uneconomic hydrocarbon

Oil rig

deposits accessible in Europe and North America, thus attracting investors to those environments. Unfortunately, the (Nigerian) government and National Assembly are focused on the 2015 general elections.” The labour leader recalled that the Federal Executive Council forwarded the 2012 PIB to the National Assembly on July 18, 2012 while public hearings were concluded by

t h e H o u s e o f Representatives in July 2013 and the Senate in November 2013, noting that from then till now, not much had been done by the National Assembly. "So, the PIB has been in the National Assembly for two years and yet still at the adhoc committees stage. The adhoc committees are yet to present their reports to the committee of the whole.

Meanwhile, investors have continued to adopt a wait and see attitude, refraining from making any new investment pending the passage of the bill. "Since 2009 when the (late President Umar) Yar’Adua government first introduced the PIB, no new Final Investment Decision has been taken on any oil and gas project in Nigeria, not even on the governmentpromoted Brass LNG

NUPENG calls for TAM on local refineries

he Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has demanded immediate turn-around maintenance, TAM, for the nation's four public refineries located in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt. NUPENG national chairman, Comrade Igwe Achese, made the call recently, saying: “We call on the Federal Government to expedite action on the turn-around maintenance, TAM, of the nation's four refineries, as agreed in January

2014 so that they can produce at optimal capacity, which will go a long way to end the massive importation of petroleum products, which is eating into our foreign exchange earnings.” The NUPENG leader, who also spoke on pipeline vandalism, said: “This has become a recurring decimal despite the presence of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta and the

pipeline right-of-way. We c a l l f o r t h e establishment of a Pipeline Protection Agency that will be saddled with the responsibility to monitor the nation's pipeline with new technologies and sophisticated weaponry for the security agencies to guard these nation's assets.”

project,” Comrade Onuegbu lamented. He urged the leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to closely monitor events at the Senate a n d H o u s e o f Representatives as they concern the Bill. “PENGASSAN and NUPENG should as the unions in the oil and gas sector ensure that the PIB is passed. They should engage TUC and Nigeria Labour Congress and wake up the National Assembly from the slumber of vested interest and 2015 general election. Otherwise the PIB will not be passed by this National assembly and in line with the legislative tradition, will have to be started afresh by the 8th National Assembly. Comrade Onuegbu explained that due to long period of attempt to pass the Bill, more uncertainties had been created in the midstream (gas processing and distribution) while lamenting the the excessive powers of the Minister under the Bill and the fact that refineries are not even mentioned in the Bill (except in section 220 about regulations).

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

President Goodluck Jonathan

Labour Ministry lists achievements under Jonathan

he Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity s a y s i t initiated and implemented, between 2010 and 2014, proactive policies and programmes that have enhanced the development of the sector. Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, announced this in Abuja while performing the public presentation of the books: “Compendium of Nigerian Labour Laws and Other Related Laws” and “Guidelines on Labour Laws in Nigeria”. The Minister noted that the newly unveiled books were a must read for all organisations in the country, stressing that the publications contained valuable information that would make it easier for experts and other readers to apply the provisions of N i g e r i a ’s l a b o u r l a w s efficiently for conflict resolution, productivity improvement and socioeconomic development. According to him, the books provided all parties involved in investment decision-making with relevant labour market

information and guidance on the labour laws operational in the country. Wogu pointed out that the Labour Ministry’s commitment to professional service delivery has transformed the labour sector with the production of such policies as HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy; Child Labour Policy; National Productivity Policy; Local Employment Contents Guidelines; Guidelines on the Oil and Gas Sector; Contract Staffing Policy and Regulation on the Use of Elevators and Escalators with Guidelines. “Furthermore, our National Policy on Labour Migration has been submitted to the Council Secretariat while National Entrepreneurship, Skills Development and Social Security Policies are at different stages of development”, he stated. The Minister explained that the National Employment Policy was being updated with the support of the International Labour Organisation, ILO. He noted that the publication of the books which was the outcome of publicprivate partnership between the Ministry and Messrs Facts and Figures, was a further testament of the Ministry’s

commitment to excellence and improved labour administration system. According to him, “as Nigeria attracts investments as one of the leading economies of the world and the largest economy in Africa, it is vital to equally develop and maintain a professional and productive labour force that meets the needs of investors and the labour market.” The minister, who identified issues of inequity, poor training and unfair labour practices in the workplace as the cause of industrial unrest, underscored the need for employee education and empowerment as essential for the development of a well informed workforce and reduction of the rate of occurrence of industrial disputes in Nigeria yearly. He recommended the reading of the books as necessary for workers, employers, political office holders, business owners and government functionaries.

PENGASSAN urges strict monitoring of expatriate quota MKPOIKANA UDOMA

he Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has alleged an increase in the number of expatriates working in the Nigerian oil and gas industry as it lamented alleged poor monitoring by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Nigerian Immigration Services and other government agencies charged with that responsibility. Immediate-past National Industrial Relation Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, made these allegations in a n i n t e r v i e w withSweetCrudeReports in Port Harcourt. Onuegbu, who also lamented absence of defined roles for labour in the implementation of the

Nigerian Content Law, described this as "a lacuna". “There is no role for PENGASSAN and NUPENG in the Act, the implementation of the Act can only be effective to the extent that the NCDMB is effective; the experience of NIMASA in the management of the Nigerian Cabotage Act shows clearly that any lapses in implementation will spell a doom as the benefits of the Act will elude Nigeria and Nigerians," he said. He further stated: “The number of expatriates working in Nigeria have actually increased instead o f d e c r e a s i n g . Unfortunately the Nigerian Immigration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not helping matters because they are operating as if they do not know the spirit and the intent of the Local Content Act.

Solid Mineral SAM IKEOTUONYE

he Federal Government is on the verge of getting a fiscal policy for the solid minerals sector that will put together all the royalties, taxes and fees, instead of paying them into non-oil revenue, according to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Sada. “We are currently on the verge of getting a fiscal policy for the sector that will put together all the royalties, taxes and fees, instead of paying them into non-oil revenue. Such monies will then be paid into mineral sector revenue,” the minister told a delegation from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre. He said this was part of plans by the government to ensure that all royalties, taxes and fees accruing from the minerals sector were p a i d i n t o t h e s e c t o r ’s revenue. According to a statement signed by Mr Ambrose Momoh, the Head of Media in the ministry, Sada stated that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has already put in place measures to monitor the amount of royalties paid to government from mining operations. The overall objective of all these, the minister stated, was to ensure increased production from the sector and increased taxes all well, which will go to government. Maintaining that the action by the government on the fiscal policy for the solid minerals sector was a result of the report of the first Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative Audit of the sector, Sada lauded NEITI for auditing the solid minerals sector, saying the Initiative’s observations would serve as a spring board to take further decisions in growing the sector. He spoke of government's readiness to partner with relevant stakeholders for the development of the sector, saying “I tried to promote the concept of partnership with quite a number of organisations,” he said. He said the Federal Government had set up a Presidential Task Force to

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Fiscal policy for Solid Minerals sector coming soon —Minister

Mining site

The Executive Director, CISLAC, said the purpose of the visit was to extend the organisation’s readiness to support government to ensure that the sector moved forward combat illegal mining activities in the country. Sada said establishment of mineral buying centres and standardisation of Community Development Agreements would address some of the issues raised in NEITI audit report of the sector. He, therefore, sought for more collaboration from

stakeholders for the solid minerals sector to take its rightful position in the nation’s economy. The Executive Director, CISLAC, said the purpose of the visit was to extend the organisation’s readiness to support government to

ensure that the sector moved forward. Musa, who led the delegation, said that the organisation was at the forefront of advocating for the inclusion of solid minerals sector in the NEITI audit report.

He urged the ministry to proffer solutions to salient issues that arose from the NEITI audit report of the sector to ensure its development for the socioeconomic advancement of the country.

Govt out to promote coal as alternative power source OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

h e F e d e r a l Government is determined to promote coal as an alternative source for power generation, according to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada. The minister stated this in Ibese, Ogun State as he revealed government's plan to work with private development partners to ensure efficient exploitation of resources in the nation's minerals and metal sector to contribute significantly to the country's economic

development Sada, who made the disclosure during a visit to Dangote Cement Group company, also called on mining operators in the country to use of coal as an alternative source of power generation. “We are taking serious the situation of power in the country, we felt we have to do whatever we can do to promote this type of bio-fuel for the purpose of power generation. What we try to do is to see how we can partner with them so that they can mine their own coal in the the country and make

it effective and cheap for them to be able to integrate into their system. “There is need to prove to Nigerians that coal mining is actually happening in the country, and not gemstone mining which, though important for a lot of purposes, is not considered as important as industrial minerals such as coal,” he said. Sada disclosed that Nigeria has a large quantity of coal reserves and each state of the federation has more than two types of solid minerals that can be harnessed.

Freight

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Gulf of Guinea sees 15 criminal incidents —Dryad Maritime

Pirates SAM IKEOTUONYE

he UK’s leading maritime intelligence provider, D r y a d Maritime, said in its third quarter 2014 report that the Gulf of Guinea has seen 15

confirmed criminal incidents, compared with 22 in first and 14 in the second quarter. According to the report, after the surge in kidnap incidents reported in the first quarter, there was a brief respite before two attacks during July and August. "As is the trend of this type of incident, both took

place after midnight in areas just outside of the area policed by the Nigerian Navy," the report said. It added: "Also following the trend identified in Q2, maritime criminality continues to shift west to the border area between Ghana and Togo as demonstrated by the hijacking and

subsequent cargo theft of the tankers MT Haisoon 6 and MT Fair Artemis. “The intent to hijack tankers remains, with the hijacking and cargo theft of MT Haisoon in July and a failed attempt on the MT SP Boston in August. "At the time of writing, another suspect vessel is on the loose, probably looking for a victim

Terminal operators say Oil & Gas Free Zones amendment 'illegal, biased’

e r m i n a l operators under the umbrella of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN, have described as "illegal, biased and an attempt to serve a particular interest" the plan by the Senate to amend the Act establishing the Oil & Gas Export Free Zone Authority. The association said in a

petition written to the Senate Joint Committee on Trade and Establishment and Public Services, that the upper legislative chamber has erred by moving to amend the provisions of the Act without carrying along relevant stakeholders, who should make requisite inputs. Describing the Act as touching “on the essence of the concession programme of the Government of Nigeria”, STOAN said the terminal

operators, which formed a major part of the trade chain in the country, had been sidelined in the entire amendment plan. “In the circumstances therefore, we see these proposed amendments as illegal, biased and an attempt to serve a particular interest against the wish and will of Nigerians and against the spirit and letters of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which the Senators as lawmakers swore to uphold,” the body stated in the petition dated September 23, 2014 and signed by its secretary, Mr. Uzamot Boye.

off Gabon or even further south. In the Gulf of Guinea region, we’ve also been concerned about the West African Ebola outbreak and have made sure that our clients understand the extent of the problem and the implications for the shipping industry and individual ships’ crews.” According to the report, "In contrast, and in keeping with the Southwest Monsoon period in the Horn of Africa, the high wind speeds and waves in excess of five metres in the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden has precluded Somali piracy operations. "However, the Monsoon conditions have not affected the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman with 16 reported approaches, none of which have been categorised as piracy incidents by Dryad". It noted that with calm seas and light winds forecast over the next few months, conditions would be more favourable for pirate operations, but stated that a lack of funding, equipment and manpower would likely limit the number of Pirate Action Groups at sea.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Freight

he Federal Government has granted a total of N25.81 billion in waivers and exemptions to several organisations between January and May this year. The beneficiary organisations include agencies, non-profit institutions and private businesses. A report by the Budget Office of the Federation showed that organisations operating in agriculture, oil and gas, power and education sectors were the major beneficiaries. In all, a total of 64 different organisations were granted waivers with several of them claiming supply of machinery, equipment and spare parts, plants, equipment and core drilling rigs. Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited was the highest beneficiary of the waivers with N10.5 billion.? A breakdown of the amount showed that the sum of N6.96 billion was waived for Indorama for the importation of machinery, equipment and spare parts, while the balance of N3.54 billion was waived on fertiliser equipment, catalysts and chemical pile. Chevron Nigeria Limited was the second highest beneficiary, with N4.87 billion waived for the

Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited was the highest beneficiary of the waivers with N10.5 billion.? A breakdown of the amount showed that the sum of N6.96 billion was waived for Indorama for the importation of machinery, equipment and spare parts, while the balance of N3.54 billion was waived on fertiliser equipment, catalysts and chemical pile

Sea port

Govt grants Chevron, Indorama, others N25.8bn import duty waivers importation of machinery, equipment and pipelines; followed by Galaxy Backbone, with N2.49 billion for I n f o r m a t i o n a n d Communications Technology equipment.

Similarly, United Cement Company of Nigeria and NIPCO Plc also got waivers of N1.91 billion and N1.02 billion for the importation of machinery, equipment and spare parts.?Other major

beneficiaries are the Borno State Government, which got N984.79 million waived for agricultural machineries; the Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration/Globe

Motors for 290 units of motor vehicles used at the recently held World Economic Forum; and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without borders), N568 million for medical supplies.

EU states reject proposed marine LNG infrastructure rule

2020 target to roll out Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG, infrastructure across all of the EU’s core maritime ports has been rejected by member states, according to EU officials on 30 September. The target date as well as the infrastructure were both seen as “critical” by the European Commission for industry to meet tightening marine emission controls. The date has now been pushed back by five years and member states have gained “the flexibility to choose themselves which ports are to be equipped,” according to European Commission official

Hugues Van Honacker. Rules around the established low sulphur directive have not changed, Van Honacker told ICIS, meaning that from the beginning of next year in northern Europe, it will be forbidden to use marine fuels with a sulphur content of more than 0.1% – down from 1% currently. From 2020, the rule is slated to apply across the EU. In preparation for the imminent stricter controls, a series of northern European projects promoting LNG as a viable fuel have developed to varying degrees of success. However, while LNG can be

seen as an attractive economic alternative, it is not the only alternative. “Member states may still be hopeful of improvements and innovations in other alternative technologies,” Van Honacker said. By pushing back the final date and taking greater control of port infrastructure targets, member states are allowing more space for alternatives. Projected growth in northern Europe’s LNG marine fuel market from about 1mtpa in 2015 to over 4mtpa by 2020 may take longer to spread across the continent than European authorities previously

anticipated. Nonetheless, the 28 states that make up the EU have agreed “to ensure that an appropriate number of refuelling points for LNG are put in place at maritime ports by 31 December 2025,” according to a statement approved by the European Council on 29 September. The appropriate number would enable LNG inland waterway vessels or seagoing ships to circulate throughout Europe’s core transport network by the end of 2025, the statement said. Member states are to ensure this through national policy frameworks which they will have until November 2016 to finalise, according to Van Honacker.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Motoring

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Car Buying Guide This month we take a look at the various car models, their horse power, fuel consumption/gallon within the city and highway. This will help inform buyers or would be car owners on the option that suits their need. Car owners expect their vehicle to perform at the same level with similar brands but get disappointed at the output they get not knowing that the other brand being competed with maybe of a higher horse power, better fuel economy etc.

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Acura MDX

290 Horse power 305

Fuel economy/gallon 19 city Hwy 29

19 city

hwy 25

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class

2015 Ford Fusion

175

2015 Honda Pilot

200

19 city

hwy 25

2015 Hyundai Sonata

250

18 city

hwy 27

23 city

hwy 32 CONTINUES ON PAGE 39

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Motoring

Car Buying Guide CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38

2915 Subaru Forester

170

22 city

hwy 28

2015 Mazda CX-5

Tesla reveals AWD, 691-hp Model S, its most powerful model yet

s predicted, Tesla unveiled a new version of the Model S sedan this month, featuring an additional motor up front to make it a 691-horsepower all-wheel-drive rocket and one of the fastest sedans on the planet. Tesla says the new Model S P85D can hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds just slightly slower than the 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat and has a range of 275 miles on a full charge, 10 more than before, thanks to being able to recapture more energy from the front wheels.

155

24 city

hwy 30

2014 Tesla Model S

302

88 city

hwy 90

2014 Toyota Highlander

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This car is nuts," said Tesla cofounder and CEO Elon Musk, addressing a massive throng of Tesla owners at Hawthorne Municipal Aiport in Los Angeles, Calif. "It's like having your own roller coaster." He's not joking. Even with the P85D's 291 extra pounds, the launch from a stop is absolutely manic, like nothing I've experienced before. It's similar to a Nissan GT-R, except all of that staggering 687 ft-lb of torque hits you at an instant, and your vision blurs from the acceleration as the brain slams into the back of your skull. I can't remember the last sports car that made my neck this sore, and that's with having my head firmly planted against the headrest. Musk also announced a raft of safety upgrades for the Model S that moved the car closer to some facets of autonomous driving. The system in new Model S cars use a dozen sensors to see about 16 feet around the vehicle, allowing it to not only monitor lanes as other luxury models can, but to adjust its speed by "reading" the speed limit signs (other automakers use GPS to keep track of speed limits). The integrated sonar system can detect soft objects to avoid obstacles, and it can not only parallel park on its own, but also park into your own garage. In practice, the autopilot pretty much drives on its own. The experience is smooth, with no abrupt corrections or braking -- in other words, far better than the typical distracted driver: Priced at $120,170, the Tesla Model S P85D will be delivered to customers at the end of the year.

185

18 city

hwy 24 CONTINUES ON PAGE 40

Technology

odern life i s unimagina ble without electricity. It lights houses, buildings, streets, provides domestic and industrial heat, and powers most equipment used in homes, offices and machinery in factories. Improving access to electricity worldwide is critical to alleviating poverty. Coal plays a vital role in electricity generation worldwide. Coal-fired power plants currently fuel 41% of global electricity. In some countries, coal fuels a higher percentage of electricity.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Coal & Electricity grids. When it nears the point of consumption, such as our homes, the electricity is transformed down to the safer 100-250 voltage systems used in the domestic market.

Efficiency Improvements Improvements continue to be made in conventional PCC power station design and new combustion technologies are being developed. These allow more electricity to be produced

Coal in Electricity Generation South Africa 93% Australia 78% Israel 58% Greece 54%

Poland 87% Kazakhstan 75% Czech Rep 51% USA 45%

PR China 79% India 68% Morocco 51% Germany 41%

Source: IEA 2012

How is Coal Converted to Electricity? Steam coal, also known as thermal coal, is used in power stations to generate electricity. Coal is first milled to a fine powder, which increases the surface area and allows it to burn more quickly. In these pulverised coal combustion (PCC) systems, the powdered coal is blown into the combustion chamber of a boiler where it is burnt at high temperature (see diagram below). The hot gases and heat energy produced converts water – in tubes lining the boiler – into steam. The high pressure steam is passed into a turbine containing thousands of propeller-like blades. The steam pushes these blades causing the turbine shaft to rotate at high speed. A generator is mounted at one end of the turbine shaft and consists of carefully wound wire coils. Electricity is generated when these are rapidly rotated in a strong magnetic field. After passing through the turbine, the steam is condensed and returned to the boiler to be heated once again. The electricity generated is transformed into the higher voltages (up to 400,000 volts) used for economic, efficient transmission via power line

from less coal - known as improving the thermal efficiency of the power station. Efficiency gains in electricity generation from coal-fired power stations will play a crucial part in reducing CO2 emissions at a global level. Efficiency improvements include the most cost-effective and shortest lead time actions for reducing emissions from coal-fired power generation. This is particularly the case in developing countries where existing power plant efficiencies are generally lower and coal use in electricity generation is increasing. Not only do higher efficiency coal-fired power plants emit less carbon dioxide per megawatt (MW), they are also more suited to retrofitting with CO2 capture systems. Improving the efficiency of pulverised coal-fired power plants has been the focus of considerable efforts by the coal industry. There is huge scope for achieving significant efficiency improvements as the existing fleet of power plants are replaced over the next 10-20 years with new, higher efficiency supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants and through the wider use of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) systems for power generation. A one percentage point improvement in the efficiency of a conventional pulverised coal combustion plant results in a 2-3% reduction in CO2 emissions.

What is Coal? Coal formation began during the Carboniferous Period - known as the first coal age - which spanned 360 million to 290 million years ago. Coal is a fossil fuel and is the altered remains of prehistoric vegetation that originally accumulated in swamps and peat bogs. The energy we get from coal today comes from the energy that plants absorbed from the sun millions of years ago. All living plants store solar energy through a process known as photosynthesis. When plants die, this energy is usually released as the p l a n t s d e c a y. U n d e r conditions favourable to coal formation, the decaying process is interrupted, preventing the release of the stored solar energy. The energy is locked into the

coal. Coal formation began during the Carboniferous Period - known as the first coal age - which spanned 360 million to 290 million years ago. The build-up of silt and other sediments, together with movements in the earth's crust - known as tectonic movements - buried swamps and peat bogs, often to great depths. With burial, the plant material was subjected to high temperatures and pressures. This caused physical and chemical changes in the vegetation, transforming it into peat and then into coal.

Coalification The quality of each coal deposit is determined by:

—depths of burial —temperatures and pressures at those depths —Length of time the coal has been forming in the deposit The degree of change undergone by a coal as it matures from peat to anthracite is known as coalification. Coalification has an important bearing on coal's physical and chemical properties and is referred to as the 'rank' of the coal. Ranking is determined by the degree of transformation of the original plant material to carbon. The ranks of coals, from those with the least carbon to those with the most carbon, are lignite, subbituminous, bituminous and anthracite.

Types of Coal —varying types of vegetation from which the coal originated

Initially the peat is CONTINUES ON PAGE 41

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Technology CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40 converted into lignite or 'brown coal' - these are coaltypes with low organic maturity. In comparison to other coals, lignite is quite soft and its colour can range from dark black to various shades of brown. Over many more millions of years, the continuing effects of temperature and pressure produces further change in the lignite, progressively increasing its organic maturity and transforming it into the range known as 'subbituminous' coals. Further chemical and physical changes occur until these coals became harder and blacker, forming the 'bituminous' or 'hard coals'. Under the right conditions, the progressive increase in the organic maturity can continue, finally forming anthracite. In addition to carbon, coals contain hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and varying amounts of sulphur. Highrank coals are high in carbon and therefore heat value, but low in hydrogen and oxygen. Low-rank coals are low in carbon but high in hydrogen and oxygen content. Different types of coal also have different uses, as shown in the diagram above.

Where is Coal Found?

Coal & Electricity

top five hard coal producers are China, the USA, India, Australia and South Africa. Much of global coal production is used in the country in which it was produced; only around 15% of hard coal production is destined for the international coal market.

Mining Methods Coal is mined by two methods: —surface or 'opencast' mining —Underground or 'deep' mining

Definitions Resource The amount of coal that may be present in a deposit or coalfield. This does not take into account the feasibility of mining the coal economically. Not all resources are recoverable using current technology.

It has been estimated that there are over 861 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide. This means that there is enough coal to last us around 112 years at current rates of production. In contrast, proven oil and gas reserves are equivalent to around 46 and 54 years at current production levels.

Reserves can be defined in terms of proved (or measured) reserves and probable (or indicated) reserves. Probable results have been estimated with a lower degree of confidence than proved reserves.

Coal reserves are available in almost every country worldwide, with recoverable reserves in around 70 countries. The biggest reserves are in the USA, Russia, China and India. After centuries of mineral exploration, the location, size and characteristics of most countries' coal resources are quite well known. What tends to vary much more than the assessed level of the resource - i.e. the potentially accessible coal in the ground is the level classified as proved recoverable reserves. Proved recoverable reserves is the tonnage of coal that has been proved by drilling etc. and is economically and technically extractable.

Reserves that are not only considered to be recoverable but can also be recovered economically. This means they take into account what current mining technology can achieve and the economics of recovery. Proved reserves will therefore change according to the price of coal; if the price of coal is low proved reserves will decrease. Over recent years there has been a fall in the reserves to production (RP) ratio, which has prompted questions over whether we have reached 'peak coal'. Peak coal is the point in time at which the maximum global coal production rate is reached after which the rate of production will enter irreversible decline. However,

Reserves

Proved Reserves

recent falls in the RP ratio can be attributed to the lack of incentives to prove up reserves, rather than a lack of coal resources. Exploration activity is typically carried out by mining companies with short planning horizons rather than state-funded geological surveys. There is no economic need for companies to prove longterm reserves. All fossil fuels will eventually run out and it is essential that we use them as efficiently as possible. Coal reserves could be extended further through a number of developments including: —The discovery of new reserves through ongoing and improved exploration activities; —advances in mining techniques, which will allow previously inaccessible reserves to be reached. Additionally, significant improvements continue to be made in how efficiently coal is used so that more energy can be generated from each tonne of coal produced.

followed by exploration drilling. This allows an accurate picture of the area to be developed. The area

Surface Coal Mining Operations & Mine Rehabilitation

will only ever become a mine if it is large enough and of sufficient quality that the coal can be economically recovered. Once this has been confirmed, mining operations begin.

Coal Exploration Coal reserves are discovered through exploration activities. The process usually involves creating a geological map of the area, then carrying out geochemical and geophysical surveys,

The choice of mining method is largely determined by the geology of the coal deposit. Underground mining currently accounts for a bigger share of world coal production than opencast; although in several important coal producing countries surface mining is more common. For example, surface mining accounts for around 80% of production in Australia; while in the USA it is used for about 67% of production.

Coal Mining Over 6185 million tonnes (Mt) of hard coal is currently produced worldwide and 1042 Mt of brown coal/lignite. The largest coal producing countries are not confined to one region - the

Surface Mining Surface mining - also known as opencast or opencut mining - is only economic when the coal seam is near the surface. This method recovers a higher proportion of the coal deposit than underground mining as all coal seams are exploited 90% or more of the coal can be recovered. Large opencast mines can cover an area of many square kilometres and use very CONTINUES ON PAGE 42

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Technology CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

large pieces of equipment, including: —draglines, which remove the overburden —power shovels —large trucks, which transport overburden and coal —bucket wheel excavators —Conveyors The overburden of soil and rock is first broken up by explosives; it is then removed by draglines or by shovel and truck. Once the coal seam is exposed, it is drilled, fractured and systematically mined in strips. The coal is then loaded on to large trucks or conveyors for transport to either the coal preparation plant or direct to where it will be used. Underground Mining There are two main methods of underground mining: room-and-pillar and longwall mining. Room & Pillar Mining In room-and-pillar mining, coal deposits are mined by cutting a network of 'rooms' into the coal seam and leaving behind 'pillars' of coal to support the roof of the mine. These pillars can be up to 40% of the total coal in the

Coal & Electricity

seam - although this coal can sometimes be recovered at a later stage. Longwall Mining Longwall mining involves the full extraction of coal from a section of the seam, or 'face' using mechanical shearers. A longwall face requires careful planning to ensure favourable geology exists throughout the section before development work begins. The coal 'face' can vary in length from 100350m. Self-advancing, hydraulically-powered supports temporarily hold up the roof while coal is extracted. When coal has been extracted from the area, the roof is allowed to collapse. Over 75% of the coal in the deposit can be extracted from panels of coal that can extend 3km through the coal seam. T e c h n o l o g i c a l advancements have made coal mining today more productive than it has ever been. To keep up with technology and to extract coal as efficiently as possible modern mining personnel must be highly skilled and well-trained in the use of complex, state-of-theart instruments and equipment.

Top Ten Hard Coal Producers (2011e) PR China USA India Australia Indonesia

3471Mt 1004Mt 585Mt 414Mt 376Mt

Uses of Coal Access to modern energy services not only contributes to economic growth and household incomes but also to the improved quality of life that comes with better education and health services. All sources of energy will be needed to meet future energy demand, including coal. What is Coal used for? Coal has many important uses worldwide. The most significant uses of coal are in electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel. Around 6.6 billion tonnes of hard coal were used worldwide last year and 1 billion tonnes of brown coal. Since 2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel. The five largest coal users China, USA, India, Russia and Japan - account for 76%

Russia South Africa Germany Poland Kazakhstan

334Mt 253Mt 189Mt 139Mt 117Mt

of total global coal use. Different types of coal have different uses. Steam coal also known as thermal coal is mainly used in power generation. Coking coal also known as metallurgical coal - is mainly used in steel production. The biggest market for coal is Asia, which currently accounts for over 67% of global coal consumption; although China is responsible for a significant proportion of this. Many countries do not have natural energy resources sufficient to cover their energy needs, and therefore need to import energy to help meet their requirements. Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea, for example, import significant quantities of steam coal for electricity generation and coking coal for steel production. Other important users of coal include alumina

refineries, paper manufacturers, and the c h e m i c a l a n d pharmaceutical industries. Several chemical products can be produced from the byproducts of coal. Refined coal tar is used in the manufacture of chemicals, such as creosote oil, naphthalene, phenol, and benzene. Ammonia gas recovered from coke ovens is used to manufacture ammonia salts, nitric acid and agricultural fertilisers. Thousands of different products have coal or coal byproducts as components: soap, aspirins, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, such as rayon and nylon. Coal is also an essential ingredient in the production of specialist products: —Activated carbon - used in filters for water and air purification and in kidney dialysis machines. —Carbon fibre - an extremely strong but light weight reinforcement material used in construction, mountain bikes and tennis rackets. —Silicon metal - used to produce silicones and silanes, which are in turn used to make lubricants, water repellents, resins, cosmetics, hair shampoos and toothpastes.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Community

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Oil spills: Govt to train Ogoni youths in restoration processes ...To unveil economic package for impacted communities

Oil thieves devise new strategy in Delta, Bayelsa - JTF MKPOIKANA UDOMA

Oil spill clean up OSCARLINE ONWUEMENYI

he Federal Government has disclosed plans to create a vocational Centre of Excellence in Environmental Restoration in Ogoniland to train thousands of young people in the protection, preservation and restoration of impacted environment. Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who disclosed this during a presentation at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Environmental Restoration in Ogoniland organised by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in Abuja, added that government action towards restitution in oil spill impacted areas would also include socio-economic measures aimed at alleviating poverty and creating economic selfsufficiency in the communities.

According to the Minister, the vocational centre will “train and provide competencies, vocational and specialist technical skills, capacity building, expert assistance and support services required by stakeholders and government agencies, towards carrying out their mandate of protection, preservation and restoration of impacted environment.” She said the location of the vocational training centre is still being discussed, even as she urged the stakeholders to fashion out the operational modalities for the centre. She added, “It is my hope that the youth in Ogoniland will be able to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the restoration process and strengthen their capacities to become involved as potential implementers of the restoration programme. “Clearly, Ogoni youths must be involved in the restoration process, and I would like to see the training of Ogoni youths begin by November if this year.

So, we have a lot of work to do, and we need to be very aggressive in the work.” She added that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has indicated willingness to assist the government in the training of the youth. Alison-Madueke explained that government intends to deploy “a very robust approach to tackle some tough and yet to be resolved issues in the impacted communities, to address old issues in new and innovative ways, and to create alternative means of livelihood for impacted communities via socioeconomic projects. “We aim to engage all stakeholders in varying capacities to bring sustainable and positive change in the communities by creating employment, reducing poverty and restoring the natural environment and increasing the people’s economic control which is critical at this time,” the minister said.

he Joint Military Task Force, JTF, operating in the Niger Delta, otherwise known as Operation Pulo Shield, says oil thieves have resorted to hiding stolen crude in shrines, septic tanks and other private areas in some communities in Delta and Bayelsa States. JTF said it had discovered that the thieves bury the crude oil in the shrines and in the sitting rooms of individuals. The JTF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Mustapha Ankar, in a statement, said the illegal oil bunkering squad of the JTF uncovered the new tactics of the oil thieves aimed at covering up their acts. He said the task force has seized more than 12,000 tons of crude oil buried in a sewage tank, adding that a sewage truck carrying the crude was intercepted along Ibakpa-Amuke community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta state. Lt. Col. Ankar, in the statement, also said that both the suspect and the products had been seized for preliminary investigations, before handing them over for prosecution. The JTF had prior to this disclosure another the introduction of a new method of combating the dual problem of vandalism and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region. Besides raiding illegal oil bunkering sites, which has led to the discovery of 2,700 illegal refining sites between January and August this year in Rivers and Bayelsa states, the task force has also embarked on sensitisation visit to the oil and gas communities in the region. Sector Two Brigade commander, Brig-Gen. Tukur Burutai, disclosed this during a visit to Bille Community in Degema Local Council of Rivers State, maintaining that the directive came from the Defence Headquarters and was aimed at sensitising the community heads and youths on the dangers associated with continuous illegal refining and vandalism of pipelines.

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Community

Group raises awareness on oil spills, illegal bunkering MKPOIKANA UDOMA

civil society group operating under the auspices of the N a t i o n a l Coalition against Gas Flaring and Oil Spills in the Niger Delta, NACGOND, says it is working in Bomu community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, to address the issues in the UNEP report on Ogoniland. Project coordinator of NACGOND, Ms. Stephanie Nwaeze, disclosed this to newsmen during a public awareness campaign against oil spills in Bomu, saying the group was also working on modalities to minimise the impact of oil spills in Ogoniland. According to her, “we have been operating in Bomu community presently, to address the issues in the UNEP report, so with that, we hope to reduce the number of oil spills, to reduce the impact on the environment and also to safeguard their (people's) well being. We bring the community together to understand the effects of their activities like illegal oil bunkering, amongst others. We are not here to trade blames though but we are

Illegal bunkering

here to address the issues of oil spills and how to ensure that it has been reduced to the barest minimum”. In the same vein, the Port Harcourt Zonal Director of the National Oil Spill Detection a n d R e s p o n s e A g e n c y, NOSDRA, Sir Cyrus

Nkangwung, called for collaborative efforts between the government and the oil producing communities in checking oil spills in the area. Sir Cyrus Nkangwung, who was represented at the campaign by an official of

the agency, Mr. Melford Obolo, advised parents to caution their wards against indulging in illegal oil bunkering. “Oil bunkering is not done by robots, but is done by human beings and these human beings lives in communities. Some of them

UNEP Report: Eleme distances self from Ogoni MKPOIKANA UDOMA

leme people in Rivers State have asked the Federal Government not to lump them together with the Ogoni in the implementation of the assessment report of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s Environmental Programme, UNEP. In an eleven-point communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of Eleme General Assembly (O’Ela’Obor Eleme) in Eleme, the assembly said the people of Eleme should not be put together with Ogoni in the current steps taken by the government towards implementing the UNEP report. President of group, Evang.

Jonah Chujor, who read the communiqué at the end of the meeting, said Eleme land was more impacted by oil pollution than the Ogoni's. He said Eleme should be given what is due to it in the UNEP report as he stressed: “That we the Eleme people are separate people from the Ogonis, hence cannot be lumped-up with them in the various steps taken towards the implementation of the UNEP report. “That while oil production stopped in Ogoni land since 1990, that of Eleme continued from 1956 till date, thereby creating more devastating impact on the people of Eleme ethnic nationality. We

therefore demand that whatever is due the Ogonis should be given to them, while that of Eleme should equally be given to us instead of lumping us together under an Ogoni umbrella”. Chujor also said the people of Eleme would stage a peaceful protest on the October 13 to show their displeasure over the sack of Ekporo community by their Ogu/Bolo neighbours. He stated: “The sack of Ekporo community in Eleme Local Government Area by the people of Ogu community in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area both in Rivers State is condemnable and unacceptable. That we condemn in its entirety the

silence of government at various level and the various security agencies over the sack of Ekporo people in spite of the fact that they are well informed during and after the incident. "Since the relevant authorities that are in position to protect lives and properties of citizenry have failed to see to the return of the Ekporo people to their ancestral home, the people of Eleme ethnic nationality will go on a peaceful protest march round all the roads in Eleme to show their displeasure on the sack of Ekporo people on the 13th day of October, 2014.”

live in these communities where we are doing this sensitisation campaign. All we are saying is that let parents talk to their children, let brothers talk to their siblings, let community chiefs talk to all members of their communities to ensure that they dissuade these people from carrying-out these illegal activities because it is having a devastating effect on the environment” he said.

Oil bunkering is not done by robots, but is done by human beings and these human beings lives in communities. Some of them live in these communities where we are doing this sensitisation campaign

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

Community

Militants

he Rivers State government has been urged to u r g e n t l y intervene in clashes between Sogho and Kpo communities in Khana Local Government Area of Ogoniland over control of land allegedly endowed with oil. Making the call in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, president general of N y o - K h a n a Yo u t h Association, Mr Barikpoa S e r e k a r a , t o l d SweetCrudeReports that more than 10 people have been killed in the communal clashes in the last five months. “I want to use this opportunity to call on the Rivers State government, as a matter of urgency to intervene between the communities called Sogho and Kpo in Khana Local government, because for some time now, there have been a lot of crises there because of land dispute, and these communities have lost a lot of souls that could have been prominent leaders by tomorrow. “Our government should not fold hands and allow these two communities to p e r i s h a w a y. L e t t h e government see what they can do to bring peace in these communities because they are also part and parcel of

Rivers govt urged to intervene in Sogho, Kpo oil clashes the state where Rivers State government is purely in charge,” he said. E f f o r t s b y SweetCrudeReports to reach the traditional rulers of the

two communities proved unsuccessful, but investigations by our correspondents showed that the piece of land under contention has been

cordoned off, with charms and amulets scattered on the land to prevent public access.

Ogu community denies sacking Ekporo people, calls for govt intervention MKPOIKANA UDOMA

ollowing the planned protest by O’Ela’Obor Eleme - the Eleme General Assembly against the alleged sack of Ekporo people by their Ogu neighbours, the spokesperson of Ogu c o m m u n i t y, C h i e f Anthony Ibifuro, has described the allegation by the Eleme General Assembly as a ploy to spark fresh crisis between the two communities in Rivers state. Chief Ibifuro said the people of Ogu are not

aware of the sacking of Ekporo people, insisting that Ogu community is currently at peace with Ekporo and other neighbouring communities. According to him, “Ogu community is not ever aware that Ekporo people are sacked, we don’t know what happened to them, as a saying goes ‘like a thief who runneth for nothing in the daytime’. We don’t even know what is happening, we are only hearing form the radio through the Eleme General Assembly that Ekporo community has been sacked, otherwise we are not a w a r e . " We a r e n o t responsible for their sack

and we don’t want to know what is happening to them. I also want to point out that there is no community called Ekporo. The Supreme Court judgment we had is Kporo, so this Ekporo they are bringing is a recent nomenclature just to set confusion”. Ibifuro has also called on the youths of Ogu to remain calm as the matter has been reported to the relevant security agencies in Rivers State. “We have told our youths to remain calm and go about their normal duties, while we have reported the matter to the appropriate quarters. All these matters are well

known to the SSS, and the Rivers State Government as well. "Ekporo people themselves knows that we have no issues with them, they are not the only people that have boundaries with us on that axis, we have boundaries with Nonwa, Barale, Norkpo, including an Eleme town Eteo, there have been no issues before now, so why must it be Ekporo every time?” SweetCrudeReports however gathered that the chiefs and elders of Ogu community have convened a meeting over the matter.

Community

2014 October, SweetcrudeReports

E-mail: johniyene@yahoo.com

UNEP: Once upon a report

Doctors at work

ExxonMobil donates $18m to Houston health institutions

xxonMobil has granted $18 million to Houston health care facilities to support cancer prevention and cardiovascular research. The fund will also go into expanding paediatric care for children with autism and enhance paediatric liver disease research and clinical services. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre will receive $10 million; $5 million will go to the Texas Heart Institute and $3 million to Texas Children’s Hospital. “ExxonMobil has had a long and deep involvement with Houston and Texas,” said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. “These world-renowned institutions are helping improve the health and lives of families in the greater Houston area and around the world, and we’re proud to support their important

mission.” ExxonMobil’s $10 million grant to MD Anderson will support the Healthy Community Initiative, which will implement strategies to reduce the risk of developing cancer and other chronic disease in a community to be selected in the Houston area. MD Anderson will team with local officials to support comprehensive health policies, education campaigns and wellness and prevention services at workplaces, schools and throughout the community. Practices that show health improvements in the community can then serve as a model for other organisations to implement locally and nationally. “With this leadership gift we have the opportunity to make the vision of a healthy Texas a reality,” said Dr. Ron DePinho, president of MD Anderson. “We’re grateful for ExxonMobil’s generosity, its commitment to our community and its partnership in our mission to

end cancer.” The $5 million pledge to the Texas Heart Institute will be directed to groundbreaking cardiovascular research and new medical discoveries to address heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the nation. From the engineering of artificial hearts to advancements in regenerative medicine, which uses patients’ own adult stem cells to create whole hearts, the Texas Heart Institute is offering new hope to thousands of patients worldwide who are not candidates for a heart transplant. “We are very grateful to ExxonMobil for the impact this generous gift will have,” said Dr. James T. Willerson, president of Texas Heart Institute. “Cardiovascular disease is the number one threat to the health of all Americans and this transformational gift will help us break even more new ground in the fight against it.”

n 1993 the Shell Petroleum Development Company, operator of the Joint Venture Partnership between Nigeria and the oil majors, pulled out of the production fields dotting Ogoniland due to the hostility of the natives. As part of efforts to re-enter the lucrative territory, the federal government commissioned the United Nations Environment Programme to carry out a study of the impact of oil production on Ogoniland. That body carried out a thorough examination of the area and published a damaging report on the 4th of August 2011. The UNEP report detailed the monumental negligence of the SPDC and other IOCs in the process of exploiting crude oil deposits. It recommended, among many other measures, that a cleanup exercise be carried out immediately on the devastated territory, warning that it may take twenty years after the recommended cleanup for the territory to regain its natural integrity. The territory that is simply referred to as Ogoniland has human populations; men, women and children continue to live on the excoriated land, drinking poisoned water and feeding on unhealthy farm produce. The federal government was so deeply touched by the environmental conditions portrayed by the report, concerned over the dire living conditions of its citizens in the area and just a bit disturbed by the loss of revenue from the area, that it set up the Hydrocarbon Pollution Reformation Project (HYPREP) in July 2012 with a mandate to implement UNEP’s recommendations. Of course, the report was never implemented. The non-implementation of the UNEP report by the federal government has been the subject of a thousand and one essays but the inept policy makers that supervise the industry paid no attention so that the land continues to waste, the people who live on the land continue to suffer neglect, Nigeria’s loss of revenue deepening. Perhaps in order not to be seen as not presenting her ministry’s arguments for the anticipated second tenure of President Jonathan, Diezani Alison-Madueke and the NNPC made a press release on the 16th of September, 2014. The release, signed by one Ohi Alegbe, Group General Manager in charge of Group Publics Affairs contained more inanities than promises for the implementations of the UNEP report. For starters, the Petroleum Resources Minister was quoted as confessing that her government “is now fully committed to the implementation of the UNEP report.” The clear implication of that statement is that her government had NOT been fully committed to the implementation of the report. The minister argued that the implementation of the UNEP report had been delayed by the need to “enthrone due process in its execution.” The minister also stated that government will set up “a steering committee” the work scope of which was not stipulated but assured Nigerians that government has to carry out “aggressive work for the next three months.” Permit me to posit that if it takes a ministry three whole years to develop the modalities for implementing a report, that report may never be implemented given that in those three years the supervising minister has fired all the competent hands that could have approached the matter professionally; it should also be noted that while failing to implement the report, one failure among a zillion, the minister has successfully prepared four budgets for her ministry, negotiated for and procured a jet for her office and popularised her signature Ankara shirt and blouse outfits, a project that industry watchers perceive she takes more seriously than the production of oil and gas. With the inclusion of a “steering committee” to the arrangements and the expectation of “three months of aggressive work” by a ministry that is led by a grossly incompetent official, we now know that the implementation of the UNEP report’s commendations for the cleanup of Ogoniland would continue to exist in the realm of debates, tales and postulations than reality.