Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), said Nigeria could increase its production to 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the short term.
“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country which exports Crude Oil and imports refined Petroleum Products.”
The NDDC has appealed to International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay the $700 million they owe the commission.
“The Ijaws suffer a slave and stranger status in a nation where they are aboriginal and the producers of its economic mainstay,’’ said the INC leader.
No casualties were recorded at the explosion of the pipeline said to be owned by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
Nigeria says it will meet the 2024 crude oil production budget benchmark of 1.7 million barrels per day.
The Senate said the committee would summon IOCs that refused to make remittances to the NDCC.
According to him, some of the IOCs are making their money in Nigeria yet failing to make their contributions to the commission.
He said that the main objective is to foster sustainable prosperity within the communities.
The Senate consequently urged the committees to present its report on the investigation in six weeks.
