Petroleum Ministry allocates N2.4 billion for water pollution control

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources will this year spend N2.378 billion on water pollution prevention and control.

This is part of the details of the 2014 budget recently laid before the National Assembly by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The water pollution prevention project is located under what the ministry tagged “Preservation of the Environment.”

The budget proposal also shows that the ministry is going to spend N800 million on hydrocarbon pollution restoration project and another N600 million on facilities for technical/administrative cooperation with international bodies on oil and gas development and utilization.

These are apart from the N110.572 million set aside for facilities and equipment for monitoring and evaluation as well as another N57 million earmarked for the implementation of petroleum statistics collaboration, auditing and operationalisation, programmes of the compendium.

These are to be funded by the total N4.121 billion allocated to the ministry in the 2014 budget proposal.

S Sudan troops ‘retake key oil town’

South Sudanese troops have recaptured a key town in one of the country’s oil-rich states from rebels, according to a report, as the major African crude producer teeters on the brink of civil war.

Government forces were separated from Bentiu, the capital of oil-rich Unity state, only by a bridge, and the army told all civilians to leave, according to the BBC.

The UK broadcaster reported later on Friday that the troops had taken back control of the town after a single tank that had been defending the bridge was overcome.

Reuters also reported that Bentiu had fallen, quoting army spokesperson Philip Aguer as saying: “It happened this afternoon (Friday) at 2:30 pm. When you control Bentiu you, control all the oilfields in Unity state.”

Time for Nigeria to plug its oil leaks

For more than a generation technocrats, politicians and oil men have wrestled over whether and how to go about strengthening oversight of Nigeria’s notoriously opaque oil industry. One conclusion that can be drawn from the official confusion this month over the proportion of oil revenues going missing is that little progress has been made in bringing greater transparency to the sector. Africa’s leading oil producer still hosts an industry subject to billions of dollars in abuse, in obvious need of more stringent monitoring.

The latest debate around the issue was sparked by a leaked letter to Goodluck Jonathan, the president. In it the central bank governor warned that the state oil company had failed between January 2012 and July 2013 to account for nearly $50bn in revenues from oil sales. Somewhat inured though many Nigerians are to big-ticket scandals, the scale of this revelation elicited a sharp national intake of breath.

Forces against the oil industry bill

But for different interests in the Nigerian economy, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has gone through several alterations, would have been passed into law several years ago.

Indeed, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, had explained that the PIB would help to reform the way that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is regulated, if passed into law, without further delay.

This is evident through the several promises that have been made by the minister in the last few years that the bill would be passed, thereby raising the hope of operators, especially indigenous players, only for it to be delayed further.

After 12 years spanning three different administrations, some powerful forces are now bent on scuttling the passage of the bill, which has in itself undergone serious metamorphosis.

What the PIB stands for

The PIB seeks to align the management of the nation’s petroleum resources in accordance with the universal principles of good governance and sustainable development, including bringing the industry legislative framework under a single comprehensive umbrella.

Lagos tanker fire – Stakeholders want tank farms relocated

Victims of last Tuesday’s inferno in Apapa area of Lagos State where 15 people were burnt to death, have called on the government to relocate the fuel tank farms from their present location in Apapa, saying the number of casualties arising from tanker-related accidents in the area was on the increase.
Also, the victims want the government to assist them get back on their businesses.
A victim, Mr. Daniel Apere, lamented that he lost goods worth more than N5 million to the inferno.
“I don’t know where to start from, I watched all my life earnings totalling more than N5 million being consumed by the raging fire. Also, my elder brother lost over N30 million to the fire.”
Apere appealed to the Federal Government to relocate the tank farms from Apapa, saying: “The number of casualties from tanker-related accidents is increasing daily, as a result the tank farms should be removed from Apapa and environs.”

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Women in the oil and gas industry -survey

Oil and gas remains male dominated even though gender diversity and womens' career prospects have improved, according to a survey in which almost a quarter of respondents said the industry was doing a poor job achieving a diverse workforce.

Oil and gas executives have long said that attracting skills and talent to a sector that has boomed over the past decade has become a major headache for companies.
"We'll never have the best industry if we can't attract the best talent regardless of gender," said Paul Caplan, President of Rigzone.


"While barriers still exist and companies can do more to ensure fairness, an oil and gas career offers tremendous global career opportunities, complex problems to solve and above average pay - all reasons talented professionals should consider energy first."
In the survey, based on 3,062 industry professionals, 11 percent were women. Some 62 percent of respondents said they believed the number of women working in the industry had increased in recent years, but 72 percent said it was still male dominated.

Twenty-three percent said it was doing a very poor or quite poor job increasing diversity, while 39 percent said it was doing a quite good or very good job.
Fifty-four percent believed women had equal opportunities for advancement to management positions, but discrimination and societal conditioning were seen as being among the main reasons for under-representation of women in the industry.

The survey was conducted by BP, the world's fourth largest investor-owned international oil and gas company by market value, and Rigzone, the online oil and gas data resource.
BP said women represented 32 percent of its hires last year.

HOW TO OVERCOME PERFECTIONISM: Part 1

Most people would consider having high standards a good thing. Striving for excellence can show that you have a good work ethic and strength of character. High standards can also push you to reach your peak level of performance. For example, athletes often train long and hard to reach excellence in their sports. Perfectionism, on the other hand, involves a tendency to set standards that are so high that they either cannot be met, or are only met with great difficulty. Perfectionists tend to believe that anything short of perfection is horrible, and that even minor imperfections will lead to catastrophe. For example, most people believe it is important to try to do one’s best and not make mistakes. However, most people also believe that making mistakes from time to time is inevitable and that making a mistake does not mean they have failed something entirely.

FG didn’t promise constant power supply by June -Nebo

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, yesterday said that the Federal Government promises improved electricity supply by June, 2014 and not constant power supply.
Nebo made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja on the sidelines of a “Pre-inaugural International Workshop” organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE. It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan was quoted by a section of the media to have promised constant power supply by June this year.
“Concerning the promise on power supply in June; we are not saying constant power supply by June; we are saying improved power supply.
“For instance, if you were getting eight hours of power supply and you now get 10, it is improvement, if you are getting 16 hours and you get 18 it is improvement.
“If you are getting 18 hours and you get 22 it is improvement; that is what we are saying, though the ministry is facing some challenges, with time everything will be stable.”
According to Nebo, the Federal Government has already committed a lot to the power sector and work is being done to normalise electricity supply in parts of the country.
He said that there was improvement in power supply in many states during the Yuletide, apart from Lagos that had some hitches due to what he called ‘unique challenge.’
“Most parts of the country got better power supply during the Yuletide, Kaduna had excellent supply, Abuja and many places got 23 to 24 hours power supply and so many other states.
“Though there were challenges, we are doing everything possible to overcome these challenges so that we can deliver more power to Nigerians.”
The minister said that government alone could not fund the infrastructure deficit in the country, saying: “That is why the Public Private Partnership, PPP, is very crucial if Nigeria must meet its development target.
“There is no way government alone can raise all the funds that is needed for infrastructure development, so we need to bridge that gap by inviting the private sector.
“This partnership with the private sector will help the government in delivering this infrastructure; that is the best way to go.”