FOLLOWING the vandalisation of its pipeline in Ughelli South Council of Delta State, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) may shut down its Otorogu Gas plant in the area.
The pipeline, which carries a quick-burning and highly inflammable industrial fuel known as “condensate” from the Otorogu Gas Plant to the Ughelli Quality Control Centre (UQCC) and then to Forcados Terminal was at the weekend vandalised at about nine spots in four villages in Ughelli South Council.
According to Shell’s Acting External Affairs Manager (West), Chief Charles Akeni, the Otorogu Gas Plant may be shut down because the pipeline is the only line by which condensate is removed in the process of gas production in order to make it dry.
“If the condensate removal pipeline is perforated at many points, it means we cannot take out the condensate and the plant will be shut,” Akeni said.
He disclosed that if the plant is shut down, the Egbin Power Plant in Lagos, which depend on it for gas supply may be adversely affected, the development would further worsen the epileptic power supply in the country.
Akeni added that “criminal acts of condensate stealing, if left unchecked, can result in grave consequences such as explosions and massive fire outbreaks, leading to loss of lives, property and serious damage to the environment.”
A field tour of the vandalised spots at the weekend by Shell, government and security officials revealed shocking innovations adopted by the vandals in ensuring that they continue to siphon fuel from several punctured spots.
In a bush, about a shouting distance from the Otu-Jeremi community, were found three vandalised spots with two tapping heads cleverly constructed and concealed with loose earth. The spots are on the bank of the Otu-Jeremi River. It was explained that the vandals come in the night, remove the loose earth, connect long hoses to barges on the river and siphon condensate.
Also, in Wireman, which is notorious for condensate theft, two vandalised spots were found in a deserted bush. The spot ironically is only a stone throw from a temporary station of the community’s pipeline surveillance watchmen, who are paid to ensure that the pipeline is not tampered with. There were other spots at Otorogu community.
It was also disclosed that condensate theft is fast taking a hitherto unknown dimension. The substance is being sold to unsuspecting motorists at some filling stations in Delta State as fuel. Condensate has a dark brownish look, and to camouflage the brownish colour, some filling stations mix condensate with little fuel and sell such as premium motor spirit also known as petrol or fuel.
Condensate is equally sold along the road as fuel by agents of the vandals. Because condensate is not meant to be used by cars and motorcycles, it burns quickly and destroys injectors and carburettors.
Apparently peeved by the development, Mr. Ovuozorie Macaulay, Commissioner for Ethnic Relations and Conflict Resolution, has invited all the leaders of the four communities where the vandalised spots were discovered to the state security meeting in Warri on Wednesday.
Macaulay equally queried Shell officials for not being firm in prosecuting persons found to be involved in oil theft.
The commissioner said there was “insider involvement” in the series of vandalisation since the local people would not know the product was running through a pipeline at a particular time.
He wondered why the communities, which had requested to be given the job of protecting the pipelines running through their place, have failed in the duties.