The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, has said Nigeria must redouble efforts in midstream and downstream petroleum operations to catch up with global trends.
Engr. Ahmed stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the midstream and downstream HSE Managers forum.
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He noted that the Quarterly HSE Managers forum, over the years, served as a platform to exchange ideas, and deliberated extensively on topical day-to-day operational and process-related HSE issues which is why the authority decided to revive it to build on its past achievements.
Subsequently, the authority’s boss said threats of renewable energy sources, which in the past were almost always dismissed by energy industry experts, have today become a reality.
“Three among the biggest technology companies have made attempts at electric cars to replace gasoline and diesel engines. While the attempt of Apple may not have made it to production yet and that of Google was suspended after clearly successful street trials, that of Tesla took the world by surprise.
“Not only did the first two releases of Tesla outsell sales forecasts, but they were also oversubscribed, and the demand keeps rising while new models are being added.
“As we speak, some of the big IOCs are funding gigantic research into alternative fuels. As sweet as Nigeria’s crudes are renowned to be globally, we have recently lost our most valued customers, and our gas buyers are themselves now competing with us in the same marketspace as suppliers,” he said.
He added that the maiden edition of the HSE Managers forum for mid and downstream operators, which is tagged ‘Let’s Begin’ is expected to drive discussions by experts and stakeholders on efficiency and value addition, as well as probe deep into the many HSE issues and challenges facing the sustainable development of the oil and gas industry.
He added that stakeholders are expected to come up with a communique that reflects the authority’s commitment to sustainable development, as well as recommendations for enhancing the HSE performance of the industry.
In a remark, the Executive Commissioner HSEC of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, Capt. John Tonlagha, said with the coming of the Petroleum Industry Act, the HSE managers will provide continuous discussions and partnerships for seamless implementation.
