We still produce 1.9mbpd –Kachikwu

DESPITE sustained militants bombing and destruction of oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria’s daily crude production stand at an appreciated 1. 9 million barrels.

Former Group Manag­ing Director of the Nige­rian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed this Friday when he handed over the corpora­tion to the new GMD, Dr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

Kachikwu, who is the minister of State for Pe­troleum Resources and Chairman governing board of the NNPC stated that talks with militants are still on going and ex­pressed belief that if all lacking areas or missing links for the discussions with the Niger Delta Avengers are corrected, crude production at For­cados pipelines terminal would be back on stream by the end of this month.

“We are working on it and I need to meet with Mr. President, obviously there’s a lot more engage­ment that is required. There are gaps that seem to have developed and I need to understand what issues warranted that.

But we will work to­wards closing those gaps.

“It is surprising that in the 11 months I’ve man­aged to serve as GMD of NNPC, as minister of State for Petroleum Re­sources, as OPEC Presi­dent, as the President of APPA and I’ve just been appointed the chairman of NNPC board, all in 11 months.

“There are not many people in the world who would have those oppor­tunities within that time frame or be given that opportunity by a leader.

“So we all have the President to be very thankful to.”

He promised to give full support to the new GMD in order to en­sure that Baru succeeds.