Fresh revelations emerged at the weekend of how some northern elite members and ex-military rulers took control of the Nigerian oil industry.
The scheme was achieved through the allocation of oil wells to themselves, family friends, in-laws and other northern aristocrats and business men, making these individuals to rake in huge incomes from oil money, an online chat portal, NigerianWorldForum, disclosed yesterday.
According to the information,
Cavendish Petroleum which operates OML110 was awarded to the late Borno
patriarch, Alhaji Mai Deribe by General Sani Abacha on July 8, 1996.
The oil well is said to have a
proven oil reserve in excess of 500 million barrels, which is more than the
entire 300 million barrels reserve of Sudan. It also has the capacity to
produce about 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily from its OBE 4 and OBE 5
wells.
Calculation at current
production levels indicates that the Mai Deribes net about N4billion monthly in
crude oil sales at oil price estimates of $100 per barrel (p/b).
Another prominent northerner
enjoying the wealth from the oil industry is Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, who is
the cousin of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi.
The Fulani prince is a key
shareholder and director in Seplat/Platform Petroleum, operators of the
Asuokpu/ Umutu Marginal Field with a capacity of 300,000 barrels monthly and A
30 mmfcsd gas plant capable of feeding 100MT of LPG.
Also, former Defence Minister,
General T.Y Danjuma, has been linked with South Atlantic Petroleum Limited
(SAPETRO). SAPETRO is a Nigerian Oil Exploration and Production Company that
was created in 1995 by the retired army General who is also the chairman of ENI
Nigeria. General Abacha allegedly awarded the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 246
to SAPETRO in February 1998.
The block covers a total area
of 2,590km2 (1,000 sq. miles). SAPETRO partnered with Total Upstream Nigeria
Ltd (TUPNI) and Brasoil Oil Services Company Nigeria Ltd (Petrobras) to start
prospecting on OPL 246. Akpo, a condensate field was discovered in April 2000
with the drilling of the first exploration well (Akpo 1) on the block. Other
discoveries made on OPL 246 include the Egina Main, Egina South, Preowei and
Kuro (Kuro was suspended as a dry gas/ minor oil discovery).
In June 2006, General T.Y
Danjuma was said to have divested part of his rights and obligations to China
National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for $1 billion (N160bn). Akpo exports
about 230,000 barrels of condensate daily. Condensate export is not regulated
by OPEC, so SAPETRO/ TOTAL exports as much as possible each day. Egina exports
about 75,000 barrels of oil daily.
Therefore, Akpo and Egina’s
fields export just over 300,000 barrels of oil/ condensate daily said to be
three times what Ghana exports. The General gets 25 percent of what accrues.
According to the information, the gas component is about 2.5 trillion
cubic feet. The money SAPETRO nets each month is allegedly more than the
monthly statutory allocation to any Nigerian state and also more than the oil
revenue of Ghana according to information.
Oil fields OML 112 and 117 were
awarded to Amni International Petroleum Development Company by General
Abdulsalami Abubakar in the twilight of his administration in 1999. In the
productionsharing contract, AMNI gets 60 percent for owning the oil block and
Total gets 40 percent for providing technical advice. OML 112 was awarded in
February 12, 1998 while OML 117 was awarded on August 4, 1999. Operations
started on both blocks in February 26, 2006, according to Nigerian- WorldForum.
The licenses are due to expire on February 11, 2018 and August 5, 2019
respectively.
The information portal believes
that this is one of the reasons why some northern leaders want the presidency
back in the north by 2015.
The oil fields have about 50
million barrels in reserve and currently produce/exports just a little below
20,000 barrels per day. The chairman of AMNI International Petroleum and
Development Company is Colonel Sani Bello from Kontagora, Niger State whose
son, Abu, is believed to have married General Abdusalami Abubakar’s eldest
daughter. The retired army colonel was a former governor of Kano State and
Nigeria High Commissioner to Zimbabwe.
Former Petroleum Minister,
Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, has also been linked with Afren Energy. The company
operates the Okoro and Setu fields in OML112. Apart from operating Amni oil
blocks, Afren, also has key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal, Vitol is a
London based oil trading company. Vitol lifts 350,000 barrels of crude oil
daily from Nigeria.
Former head of State, General
Ibrahim Babangida’s in law, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi has been linked with
Oriental Energy Resources Limited. The company runs three oil blocks OML 115,
the Okwok field and the Ebok field. OML 115 and Okwo are OML PSC, while Ebok is
an OML JV.
General Babangida’s son,
Mohammed is married to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi’s daughter, Rahama
Indimi-Babangida, who also serves as a director in the company. Other directors
include Amina Indimi- Fodio, Jibrila Indimi, Ibrahim Indimi, Ahmed Indimi and
Mustafa Indimi. The chairman and patriarch, Alhaji Indimi hails from Niger
State.
OML 115 is 228 sq Km. On OML
115, Oriental Energy Resources Limited has 60 per cent while Equity Energy
Resources AS, which has allegedly been linked to Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s oil and
gas investment vehicle, has 40 per cent. On Okwok, Addax has 40 percent equity
while on the Ebok field; Oriental Energy Resources has 100 percent. AMNI
produces twice as much as Cavendish Petroleum.
Another northern aristocrat,
Alhaji Aminu Dantata was awarded oil field OML 108 by General Abacha in
November 1995 through his Express Petroleum and Gas Limited. CAMAC Houston, a
company owned by KaseLawal bought 2.5 percent equity of Express Petroleum’s 60
percent holdings. The other 40 percent on OML 108 is owned by Sheba E&P
Limited, also linked with General Babangida. SEPCOL operates the Ukpokiti
offshore field in Shallow water Nigeria, which was acquired from ConocoPhillips
in May 2004.
Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Jambo is
another prominent northerner thriving in the oil industry. He owns NorEast
(North East) Petroleum Nigeria limited. The company is the holder of OPL215
license, covering an area 0f 2,564 square kilometres in water depths between
200 to 1600 metres.
NorEast is the parent company
of Rayflosh Petroleum which was awarded blocks OPLs 276 and 283 leading to a
Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria Limited and CCC Oil and
Gas.
The license was awarded to
Alhaji Jambo by General Babangida in 1991 and then renewed in 2004. So far
$50Million has allegedly been spent on the very promising Okpoi-1 and Egere -1
exploratory wells.
Former Vice President, Alhaji
Abubakar Atiku, the Yar’Adua family and the Ado Bayeros have also been linked
with INTELS , the Oil and Gas Free Zone and Oil Services Centres, as well as
Support Bases, are operated from governmentowned facilities, leased to INTELS
under long-term agreements. INTELS runs a ‘private port’, with the attendant
effect on the Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt ports. There are over one
hundred major companies operating at the INTEL facility in Port Harcourt.
Source: National Mirror
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