Indications emerged yesterday that the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) operations in Delta and Bayelsa states might be halted or closed down in no distant future.
This follows fears expressed by the General Manager, Western Operations, Mr. Cor Zegelaar, that the current production level of the company in the area had declined to about 100,000 barrel per day, which is far below the sustainable level for SPDC operations.
Responding to the demands for a better condition by Shell pensioners at this year’s pensioners’ day, Zegelaar said: “Our existence is at stake. We need to produce a minimum of 400,000bpd to support our business here, but in the last four years, we are able to produce just a quarter of this figure.”
He appealed to the pensioners to recognise the fact that the company was passing through trying times, and assured that their demands would be presented to the SPDC Management.
He also promised to provide the pensioners with a Coaster bus to ease their movement.
In an address, the Branch Chairman, Olorogun Pat Edafe, presented a list of demands, including the “harmonisation of pension, annual inflationary adjustment, periodic preview and benchmarking of pension in the oil industry, a procedure on pensioners entitlements, and extension of medical scheme to children less than 18 years.”
He said Shell pensioners were filled with hopes when the first Nigeria Managing Director/Country Chairman for Africa, Engineer Basil Omiyi, was appointed, but expressed regrets that his tenure did not change the deplorable situation of pensioners.