Members of the standing committee on the implementation of a harmonized standard operating procedure (SOP) on arrest, detention and prosecution of vessels and persons in Nigeria’s maritime environment recently paid a courtesy visit to the Department of Petroleum Resources to reaffirm their commitment to stakeholder engagement, a working cooperation and collaboration with the DPR in standardizing protocols for a more effective policing of our maritime space in terms of vessel movements and petroleum products traffic, according to Rear Admiral F. Bobai who led the visiting delegation.

The committee was welcomed by the Deputy Director and Head of Safety, Health and Environment Division, Mrs. Onyebuchi Sibeudu on behalf of the Director of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Ladan who was unavoidably absent.

In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Sibeudu assured the visitors of the Department’s commitment to a successful implementation of the new SOP, she reiterated DPR’s commitment to stakeholder engagements in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry. She further commended the committee for the sensitization visit and applauded the frontline role played by security agencies in securing the Nigerian maritime corridor. As she reassured the team that all observations made will be given due attention  and also used the opportunity to sensitize them on the process of plugging and abandonment of oil wells.

Rear Admiral Bobai on his part, informed the DPR that from January to date, the Nigerian Navy has destroyed over 898 illegal refineries operating at different locations around the country. He used the opportunity to implore the DPR to keep a close watch on the activities of some marginal field operators in the Niger Delta region and answered some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on the functionality of the new SOP.

The high point of the visit was the presentation of copies of the new SOP to the representative of the Director of Petroleum Resources.