Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have raised diverse concerns over the proposed establishment of a new regulatory agency to be solely dedicated to decommissioning and abandonment of oil production facilities in Nigeria.
Representatives of key industry players during an interactive session with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) argued that the creation of a new commission would amount to duplication of responsibilities and unnecessary bureaucracy, as the existing structures have the capacity to carry out the expected responsibilities.
Anchored by chairman of the committee, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the meeting had in attendance officials from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR), Ministry of Environment (FME), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
Doguwa in his opening statement stated the significance of the proposed commission, describing the NC-DOGI Bill as a landmark legislative proposal aimed at establishing a dedicated commission to coordinate all decommissioning efforts in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He said: “It is designed to ensure Nigeria meets globally accepted standards of decommissioning, while protecting host communities and the environment from the harmful effects of improper facility abandonment.”
However, director of Production and Development of NUPRC, Mr. Mark Emmanuel, argued that the obligations for decommissioning are embedded in current licensing frameworks and they are strictly enforced under the supervision of the commission.
“The PIA under Sections 232 and 3 already makes elaborate arrangements for decommissioning and abandonment,” he said.
SOURCE: blueprint.ng
