Nigeria may lose over 200,000 barrels per day in crude oil production output if the lingering stand-off between a multinational oil company, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), and some host communities in Delta and Bayelsa states over payment of surface rents for its operations is not halted.
Reports, which emerged, at the weekend, indicate that youths of Ojobo Federated Communities, in Burutu Council of Delta State, and Ogbotobo, in Ekeremor Council of Bayelsa State are already mustering others from neighbouring communities to shut down Benisede, Ogbotobo, Opukusu and Tunu flow stations operated by Shell.
It was learnt that the four flow stations produce an average of 200, 000 barrels of crude oil per day, and a closure of the facilities will significantly diminish the recent surge of about 7.7 per cent recorded in Nigeria’s crude oil production in December 2023, which rose to 1.4 million barrels per day, with attendant effect on the 2024 budget oil production output benchmark of 1.78 million barrels per day.
Specifically, youths of the aggrieved communities said that an intensive mobilisation was ongoing to shut down the flow stations until the Federal Government takes necessary measures towards compelling Shell to pay surface rents to the affected communities.
In a statement, yesterday, which was jointly signed by Atimapre Tesufa, Youth President of Ojobo Federated Communities, Julius Pabor, and Laye Kalu, both coordinators, the youths said they were taking their destiny in their hands to avoid a repeat of the fate that befell Oloibiri, a community in Bayelsa State where oil was first discovered in Nigeria.
Part of the statement reads: “We will close down the flow stations because Shell has taken us for granted for too long, since 1972. We are challenging Shell to point to a single development or anything they had done for the people of Ojobo, Ogbotobo or neighbouring communities in the 52 years of their operations in our land that has destroyed all our alternative sources of our livelihood.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the shutdown of the four flow stations, aggrieved communities have petitioned the Federal Government, saying SPDC’s stance could ignite dire consequences.
