Oil, Gas industry operators urge FG to deploy technology to check pipeline vandalism

Some oil and gas experts yesterday urged the Federal Government to deploy modern technology in combating the activities of crude oil thieves in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that such technology should include Closed Circuit Television and other electronic devices that could indicate that a pipeline was being tampered with.

They also said that such devices gave timely images and reports to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other relevant bodies monitoring the pipelines to promptly tackle the problem. The experts in the industry added that deploying such electronic monitoring devices would assist in reducing the huge national revenue loss through illegal bunkering of crude oil.

Simon Francis, Managing Director, Tec Flow Oil and Gas Ltd., said the issue of oil theft was a serious challenge that needed to be dealt with through a new mechanism.