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NNPC Loses N255.28bn in 11 Months – Punch

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NNPC

The total loss of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from January to November 2015 has been put at N255.28bn, as against N240.98bn which it recorded from January to October in the same year.

An analysis of the corporation’s financial report for October and November 2015 showed a difference of N14.3bn between the two months.

The oil firm’s latest financial report also showed that the NNPC had made dollar payments totalling $607.8m to the Federal Accounts and Allocation Committee from January to November 2015.

On the naira payments to the Federal Government, the corporation said, “The sum of N933.1bn for domestic crude oil and gas and other receipts was paid to the Federation Account from January to November 2015.”

The report further stated that the country’s refineries operated at zero capacity utilisation in the month of November.

It also stated, “The group operating revenues after subsidy for the months of October and November 2015 were N173.56bn and N155.10bn, respectively. This represents 56.72 per cent and 50.68 per cent, respectively of monthly budget. Similarly, operating expenditures for the same periods were N185.78bn and N169.39bn, respectively, which also represented 69.55 per cent and 63.42 per cent, respectively of budget for the months.

“Operating deficits of N12.22bn and N14.29bn for October and November 2015, respectively were attained as against monthly budgeted surplus of N38.91bn. (The) 59.63 per cent of YTD (year-to-date) NNPC deficit of N255.278bn is mainly accounted for by claimable pipeline repairs/management cost of N95.37bn and crude and product losses of N56.68bn due to vandalised pipelines.”

On the performance of refineries, the report stated that the total crude processed by the three facilities for the month of November 2015 was zero.

The refineries are Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.

The NNPC said the total export proceeds of $402.55m were recorded in November, 2015 with proceeds from crude oil export sales amounting to $296.99m or 73.78 per cent of the dollar payment compared with 72.97 per cent contribution in previous month (October, 2015).

It stated that gas export sales and Nigeria Liquified and Natural Gas feedstock amounted to $105.53m, which was 26.22 per cent contribution compared with 18.97 per cent contribution in the prior month of October 2015.

“The remaining $0.03m was attributable to other dollar denominated receipts by the corporation and a total of $607.8m has been paid so far to FAAC in the year 2015 from sales of export oil and gas,” it said.

The national oil firm explained that the downward trend in global oil prices had continued to affect the energy industry worldwide with average crude price of $44.29 per barrel on dated Brent benchmark throughout November, 2015.

Meanwhile, only two of the nation’s refineries in Kaduna and Port Harcourt met the 90-day fast-track ultimatum, which elapsed on Thursday, December 31, 2015.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had recently given the 90-day ultimatum for the revival of the refineries.

Three of the nation’s four refineries in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt had resumed production of refined petroleum products in July after undergoing rehabilitation, but they were shut down in August, September and October, respectively.

The Kaduna refinery and one of the two plants in Port Harcourt have, however, come back on stream.

The Kaduna refinery, which has a capacity of 110,000 barrels per day, had two weeks ago resumed production, almost four months after it was shut down as a result of lack of crude supply caused by the repair of the pipeline pumping crude to the plant.

The 150,000bpd refinery in Port Harcourt was said to have started production on Sunday, while the 60,000 bpd refinery, the nation’s oldest refinery, remained shut down as of December 31.

The 125,000 bpd Warri refinery, which is a complex refinery with an associated, but now moribund, petrochemical plant designed to produce polypropylene and carbon black, has yet to come back on stream.

The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refinery Company Limited, Mr. Bafred Enjugu, told our correspondent on Thursday that “we have resumed production since the morning of December 27, 2015.” But no further details were given.

Another source at the Port Harcourt refinery, who confirmed to our correspondent that the plant resumed operation on Sunday, said, “We are streaming area by area. We started with Area 1. We started going to storage of refined products since Sunday. But the old one is not yet up.”

The PHRC MD had last week told our correspondent that the refinery operated until October 13 when they had a blip with their main column, adding that it had been fixed all locally and they were in pre-commissioning mode with start up to follow.

The nation’s refineries in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day.

Kachikwu had recently said in the next 24 months, Nigerians would see a positive dramatic turn in the refinery model in the country.

The NNPC had in August cancelled the contract for the delivery of crude oil to the nation’s refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, due to exorbitant cost and inappropriate process of engagement.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Crude Oil

IOCs Stick to Dollar Dominance in Crude Oil Transactions with Modular Refineries

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Crude Oil - Investors King

International Oil Companies (IOCs) are standing firm on their stance regarding the currency denomination for crude oil transactions with modular refineries.

Despite earlier indications suggesting a potential shift towards naira payments, IOCs have asserted their preference for dollar dominance in these transactions.

The decision, communicated during a meeting involving indigenous modular refineries and crude oil producers, shows the complex dynamics shaping Nigeria’s energy landscape.

While the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had previously hinted at the possibility of allowing indigenous refineries to purchase crude oil in either naira or dollars, IOCs have maintained a firm stance favoring the latter.

Under this framework, modular refineries would be required to pay 80% of the crude oil purchase amount in US dollars, with the remaining 20% to be settled in naira.

This arrangement, although subject to ongoing discussions, signals a significant departure from initial expectations of a more balanced currency allocation.

Representatives from the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) said the decision was not unilaterally imposed but rather reached through deliberations with relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

While there were initial hopes of broader flexibility in currency options, the dominant position of IOCs has steered discussions towards a more dollar-centric model.

Despite reservations expressed by some participants, including modular refinery operators, the consensus appears to lean towards accommodating the preferences of major crude oil suppliers.

The development underscores the intricate negotiations and power dynamics shaping Nigeria’s energy sector, with implications for both domestic and international stakeholders.

As discussions continue, attention remains focused on how this decision will impact the operations and financial viability of modular refineries in Nigeria’s evolving oil landscape.

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Energy

Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery Overtakes European Giants in Capacity, Bloomberg Reports

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Aliko Dangote - Investors King

The Dangote Refinery has surpassed some of Europe’s largest refineries in terms of capacity, according to a recent report by Bloomberg.

The $20 billion Dangote refinery, located in Lagos, boasts a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels of petroleum products per day, positioning it as a formidable player in the global refining industry.

Bloomberg’s data highlighted that the Dangote refinery’s capacity exceeds that of Shell’s Pernis refinery in the Netherlands by over 246,000 barrels per day. Making Dangote’s facility a significant contender in the refining industry.

The report also underscored the scale of Dangote’s refinery compared to other prominent European refineries.

For instance, the TotalEnergies Antwerp refining facility in Belgium can refine 338,000 barrels per day, while the GOI Energy ISAB refinery in Italy was built with a refining capacity of 360,000 barrels per day.

Describing the Dangote refinery as a ‘game changer,’ Bloomberg emphasized its strategic advantage of leveraging cheaper U.S. oil imports for a substantial portion of its feedstock.

Analysts anticipate that the refinery’s operations will have a transformative impact on Nigeria’s fuel market and the broader region.

The refinery has already commenced shipping products in recent weeks while preparing to ramp up petrol output.

Analysts predict that Dangote’s refinery will influence Atlantic Basin gasoline markets and significantly alter the dynamics of the petroleum trade in West Africa.

Reuters recently reported that the Dangote refinery has the potential to disrupt the decades-long petrol trade from Europe to Africa, worth an estimated $17 billion annually.

With a configured capacity to produce up to 53 million liters of petrol per day, the refinery is poised to meet a significant portion of Nigeria’s fuel demand and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the visionary behind the refinery, has demonstrated his commitment to revolutionizing Nigeria’s energy landscape. As the Dangote refinery continues to scale up its operations, it is poised to not only bolster Nigeria’s energy security but also emerge as a key player in the global refining industry.

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Crude Oil

Brent Crude Hits $88.42, WTI Climbs to $83.36 on Dollar Index Dip

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Brent crude oil - Investors King

Oil prices surged as Brent crude oil appreciated to $88.42 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed to $83.36 a barrel.

The uptick in prices comes as the U.S. dollar index dipped to its lowest level in over a week, prompting investors to shift their focus from geopolitical tensions to global economic conditions.

The weakening of the U.S. dollar, a key factor influencing oil prices, provided a boost to dollar-denominated commodities like oil. As the dollar index fell, demand for oil from investors holding other currencies increased, leading to the rise in prices.

Investors also found support in euro zone data indicating a robust expansion in business activity, with April witnessing the fastest pace of growth in nearly a year.

Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, noted that the market had been under pressure due to sluggish growth in the euro zone, making any signs of improvement supportive for oil prices.

Market participants are increasingly looking beyond geopolitical tensions and focusing on economic indicators and supply-and-demand dynamics.

Despite initial concerns regarding tensions between Israel and Iran and uncertainties surrounding China’s economic performance, the market sentiment remained optimistic, buoyed by expectations of steady oil demand.

Analysts anticipate the release of key economic data later in the week, including U.S. first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures and March’s personal consumption expenditures, which serve as the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge.

These data points are expected to provide further insights into the health of the economy and potentially impact oil prices.

Also, anticipation builds around the release of U.S. crude oil inventory data by the Energy Information Administration, scheduled for Wednesday.

Preliminary reports suggest an increase in crude oil inventories alongside a decrease in refined product stockpiles, reflecting ongoing dynamics in the oil market.

As oil prices continue their upward trajectory, investors remain vigilant, monitoring economic indicators and geopolitical developments for further cues on the future direction of the market.

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