NUPENGASSAN shuts down OML 147, 98 over unpaid severances

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum And Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, shut down OML 98, OML 147 – the Pan Ocean Flow Station fields now being partially taken over by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation (NPDC) at Ovade Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The shutting down of the flow station will cause Nigeria to lose over 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day as well as 50 million cubic of gas daily. There are fears that it may plunge Egbin Power Plant and those areas and states they supply into darkness.

The national secretariats of the two unions had ordered for the shutting down of the flow station due to several months of unpaid severances of the Pan Ocean workers which the management and Federal Government have signed more than a year ago without implementation.

They are angry that after several months writing series of letters of reminder to Pan Ocean Management to pay them, the management has refused to do so.

OML 98 and OML 147 Oredo and other companies flowing through Pan Ocean flow station have all been affected by the shutdown.

The two unions have requested the intervention of Mele Kyari, Group General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to ensure that the workers are paid without further delay.

It could  be recalled that the NUPENG Branch Chairman, Comrade Aboy Udi, PENGASSAN Branch Chairman, Comrade Rex Aibangbee as well as  NUPENG National PRO, Comrade Cogent Ojobor and PENGASSAN Warri Zonal Council Vice Chairman, Comrade Prince Audu Peter Oshiokhamele with NUPENGASSAN National President, Williams Eniredonana Akporehe, and PENGASSAN National President, Comrade Comrade Osifo Festus, unanimously gave Pan Ocean and the Federal Government 48 hours starting from December 7, 2020 to meet up the demands of the workers or they would shut down their operations.

The two unions were called for a meeting after five days of shutting down the oil well flow stations. It was resolved that NNPC would pay the workers 60 percent while Pan Ocean would take care of their top management. However, the Federal Government later agreed outright payment of 100 percent in order for easy takeover of the assets by NPDC.