Chemical Engineers Say PTB is Wasteful

Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) has protested the proposed creation of Petroleum Technical Bureau (PTB) as canvassed in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) saying that the proposal for the creation of PTB alongside the existing ministry of Petroleum resources will be tantamount to duplication of duties and a waste of the scarce resources.

Engr. John Erinne, the society’s President, said “We do not support the proposal for the retention of the ministry of petroleum resources in parallel with new Petroleum Technical Bureau (PTB) which will essentially serve as the minister’s secretariat. Rather, we propose a National Petroleum Directorate which will combine both roles more efficiently. Creation of two regulatory bodies in the Oil and Gas industry will be wasteful duplication of agencies and will lead to confusion,”

The group further asked that the current R and D division of NNPC should be constituted into an independent Petroleum Centre, strengthened to carry out research in all aspect of the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry.

NSChE also called on government to diversify its majority shareholding in the three existing NNPC refineries so as to allow private investors with strong technical and financial wherewithal to invest in them and keep them running.

Erinne also advocated for expedition of actions on the proposed construction of refinery in Lekki area of Lagos State, saying when completed, it has the capacity to produce 350, 000 barrel of crude oil on daily basis.

“The proposed 350, 000 barrel/per day refinery in Lekki, Lagos should be implemented as a matter of urgency, in order to ensure adequate refining capacity to meet growing demand for petroleum products in the country. The other proposed refineries for Bayelsa and Kogi should also be explored subsequently,” Erinne said.