Ike Amos
30 August 2018, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Wednesday, stated that it plans to set up an oil bunkering subsidiary to provide refueling services to ships and other ocean-going vessels.
According to a statement by the NNPC, Group General Manager, NNPC Shipping, Mrs. Aisha Katagum, made the disclosure in an interview published in the corporation’s in-house journal.
According to Katagum, the bunkering subsidiary was most likely going to be an incorporated company like Nidas, a subsidiary under NNPC Shipping, adding that the proposed company would likely be domiciled in the NNPC Shipping Division too.
Speaking on the plan to set up the bunkering subsidiary, she said: “Actually, the NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD) is also very keen on that. He has directed the Corporate Planning & Strategy (CP&S) Division to come up with a business model for us to see how it could operate.
“I’m sure it is going to be a big business because we have so many vessels that come into the West African Coast. This year alone, over 120 vessels have brought imports for us.”
The NNPC explained that Nikorma and Marine Logistics are two other downstream subsidiaries under the NNPC Shipping Division.
It noted that while Nikorma engages in shipping and transportation of energy products, Marine Logistics, on the other hand, provides logistics services to the crude and petroleum products and gas sub-sector, with a mandate to effect demurrage reduction and ensure safe and efficient coastal distribution of petroleum products.