Agip suspends production in Bayelsa oil field

The Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has shut down production on its trunkline attacked by gunmen at Ogbembiri, Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.

The oil firm was said to have deferred its production to 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent to its equity share of production in the oil field operated as a joint venture agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The pipeline was said to have been blown up at least 13 times in one month.

A fresh attack that caused Agip to shut down production occurred on the pipeline on Sunday and raised questions within the community on why security agencies in charge of protecting oil installations had not been able to stop the frequent breaches.

The gunmen stormed the community at about 9:00pm, tracing the pipeline and rupturing it at a point it was previously repaired following the last attack.

Agip spokesperson confirmed the development on Wednesday and said some 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent of Eni’s equity share of production was affected.

“I can confirm the sabotage to that pipeline. The production impacted is approximately 1000 Eni’s equity,” the spokesperson who preferred not to be named stated.



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