Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has pledged decisive action to end the recurring disruptions affecting Seplat Energy Plc’s oil and gas operations in the state.
Speaking during a meeting with the Seplat management team led by the Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brown, in Asaba on Tuesday, the governor said the state was aware of the recent challenges confronting the company and assured them that such incidents would not be allowed to happen again.
“I have been briefed recently about the challenges your company is facing in some of your operations. But I want to assure you that such issues will not happen again,” the governor was quoted in a statement by Seplat.
Although the statement did not go into specifics, oil and gas companies like Seplat usually face operational disturbances in some of their host communities, often stemming from local grievances, community tensions, and security issues.
Oborevwori emphasised the state’s commitment to peaceful engagement, warning that confrontation between companies and communities undermines development and production targets.
“We believe in resolving grievances through dialogue rather than confrontation, because confrontation doesn’t benefit the people or the companies,” he said.
The governor linked frequent unrest to economic sabotage, which he said diminishes Nigeria’s crude oil output, discourages investors, and hampers job creation.
“Economic sabotage reduces our crude oil production quota, discourages investors, and limits job and wealth creation. As a people, we know this, and I assure you that we will continue to work together for mutual benefit,” he said, commending the company.
Oborevwori assured the energy company of the state’s continued support and partnership while guaranteeing a peaceful and favourable environment for its operations.
Seplat’s CEO, Brown, described Delta State as strategic to the company’s operations and growth, highlighting that the firm operates in 78 communities across the state, including 11 producing and 21 pipeline communities.
He confirmed the company’s growing investment in domestic gas, stating that it is a critical contributor to Nigeria’s electricity supply, with the company now delivering between 25 and 30 per cent of the country’s gas used for power generation.
“We expect to reach 850 million standard cubic feet per day of gas going to the domestic market. Daily, we account for 25 to 30 per cent of gas-to-power,” he explained.
Brown said Seplat had recently completed a 90 MMscfd gas plant in Sapele and is finalising an LPG unit and a CNG plant in the same area, being its first foray into compressed gas infrastructure.
He also stressed Seplat’s local employment record, noting that 27 per cent of its full-time staff are from Delta State and that the company has awarded contracts worth N500bn to Nigerian vendors in the last 10 years.
