The Ogboinbiri gas pipeline in Bayelsa vandalized – Eni

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The Ogboinbiri gas pipeline in Bayelsa state has been vandalized, Italian energy group Eni said on Thursday.

Eni said the pipeline rupture caused a leak and production losses, according to a Reuters report.

An Eni spokesperson told Reuters that "third parties" cut the pipeline with a hacksaw.

"The line is depressurized and is being repaired. Production losses due to shutdown are significant,” the spokesperson said.

Oil and gas production in Nigeria has plummeted due to pipeline theft and vandalism, leaving gas producer Nigeria LNG Ltd's Bonny Island terminal operating at 60% capacity.

Eni, together with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Shell and TotalEnergies hold shares in Nigeria LNG.

The PUNCH reported on Thursday that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Executives Association of Nigeria said an estimated 600,000 barrels of crude are being stolen daily in Nigeria and that the military should be held responsible for the high rate of oil theft.

PENGASSAN National Chairman Festus Osifo said oil theft was a crime of collaboration between military personnel tasked with protecting oil installations and locals who operate illegal refineries.

He alleged that the military and other security agencies were aiding and abetting criminals to steal the crude with the active connivance of regulatory agencies in charge of the country's oil industry.< /p>

Osifo therefore challenged regulatory agencies and various security teams to be aware of their responsibilities in order to resolve the issues.