Fuel usage by Nigerians rises as NNPC distributes 33% more products in  July

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says a total of 2.18 billion litres of petroleum white products were distributed and  sold by the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in July 2018,

indicating a 33 percent rise in fuel usage by Nigerians compared with 1.46 billion litres distributed in June.

White products are the refined products from crude oil including petrol, liquefied gas (cooking gas), kerosene, diesel and residual fuel oil.

The NNPC in its July 2018 edition of NNPC Financial and Operations report indicated that the PPMC, its downstream marketing subsidiary distributed 1.84 billion litres of petrol during the month. Similarly, kerosene, 0.13 billion litres, Diesel 0.21 billion litres, alongside 10.70 million litres, comprising of 0.87 million litres of other special products and 9.83 million litres of LPFO or 16 percent, 12 percent and 6 percent respectively was sold during the period.

The NNPC report is coming on the heels of a similar one from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which put the total volume of petroleum products importation for second quarter of 2018 at 4.79 billion litres of petrol, indicating that an average 1.59 billion litres of petrol is consumed in the country monthly.

The NBS report further revealed that statewide distribution of truck-out volume for Q2 2018 showed that 4.89 billion of petrol, 1.17 billion litres of automotive gas oil (AGO), 168.83 million litres of household kerosene (HHK) and 176.98 million litres of aviation turbine kerosene (ATK) were distributed nationwide during the period under

review.

Another aspect of the NNPC report which is the 36th in the series disclosed that during the month of July 2018, pipeline break stood at 204, of which 16 pipeline points either failed to be welded or ruptured/clamped.

A breakdown shows that 188 pipeline points were vandalized as against 165 recorded last month, with Ibadan-Mosimi accounting for 124 points or 66 percent of the vandalized pipeline, while Aba-Enugu, Port

Harcourt-Aba and other locations accounted for the rest.

A total of 1,858 vandalized points were recorded between July 2017 to July 2018.

In the upstream sector, the NNPC Financial and Operations Report for July 2018 disclosed that average crude oil price stood at $72.57 per barrel in July 2018 as against $72.67 per barrel in June 2018.

Meanwhile, a total of 230.35 billion cubic feet (BCF) of natural gas was produced in the country during the month, averaging a daily production of 7,678.17 million standard cubic feet (mmscfd). The sum represents  8.81

percent increase compared to the previous month of June 2018.

The report further revealed that for the period, July 2017 to July 2018, a total of 3,084.09 BCF of gas was produced, representing an average daily production of 7,834.62 mmscfd, while the daily average natural gas

supply to gas power plants stood at 744.86 mmscfd, equivalent to power generation of 2,898 megawatts.

The report explained that production from joint ventures (JVs), production sharing contracts (PSCs) and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), contributed about 69.38 percent, 21.69 percent and 8.93 percent respectively to the total national gas production

A further breakdown of the numbers showed that out of the total volume of gas supplied in July 2018, 127.19 BCF of gas was commercialized,

comprising of 35.55 BCF and 91.65 BCF for the domestic and export market respectively.

This translates to a total supply of 1,184.81 mmscfd of gas to the domestic market and 3,055.00 mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month, implying that 55.98 percent of the average daily gas

produced was commercialized, while the balance of 44.02 percent was re-injected, used as upstream fuel gas or flared.

The NNPC July report said gas flare rate was 9.33 percent, (706.96 mmscfd), compared with average gas flare rate of 10.44 percent  (816.73mmscfd) for the period July 2017 to July 2018.

In another development the NNPC on Sunday in Abuja dispelled insinuations of an impending petroleum products scarcity in the country.

Ndu Ughamadu, the group general manager, group public affairs, NNPC, in a statement explained that the corporation had 39 days petroleum products sufficiency and about 25 days products availability on land,

stressing that motorists and other consumers of petroleum products are assured of adequate stock to meet their energy needs.

He said providing information on the petroleum products stock level became necessary to dispel suggestions that the

threat of strike action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) would result in a slip into a round of products shortages across the country.

Ughamadu advised motorists not to engage in panic buying as the corporation would do all it could to ensure the strike action does not impact negatively on fuel distribution nationwide.

He stated that Nigerians should remain vigilant and volunteer information to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the industry regulator or to any law enforcement agency around them, on any station

that attempts to take advantage of any prevailing situation in the country at the expense of the consumers.