The Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), has reaffirmed its commitment to securing Nigeria’s oil pipelines, announcing that the country’s crude oil production has reached 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd).
This announcement was made in a statement by Major Kayode Owolabi, the Coordinator of the OPDS Joint Media Campaign Centre. He noted that, following directives from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to eliminate crude oil theft, OPDS Commander Rear Admiral John Okeke implemented several key measures starting on July 18, 2024.
The statement highlighted that the terminal factors on major pipelines—Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), Trans Escravos Pipeline (TEP), and Trans Ramos Pipeline (TRP)—have achieved 100 percent flow. As a result, daily crude oil production has reached approximately 1.7 million bpd, indicating that international oil companies (IOCs) are operating at full capacity, despite some incidents of vandalism.
Rear Admiral Okeke praised the combined efforts of the land, maritime, and air components of the task force, as well as other security agencies, for their significant contributions to these achievements.
However, he highlighted the need for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and IOCs to increase production to meet the target of 2.2 million bpd.
The development comes at the same time President Bola Tinubu said the oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence.
“Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024,” Tinubu said in a nationwide broadcast on Sunday.
“Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61 million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve. This Major Owolabi says is a testament of an improvement in oil activities.”