The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s crude oil sector with the inauguration of a Gravimetric Multifaceted Flow Metering Calibration Facility in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

It also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to strengthen cooperation on methane emissions reduction, gas development, clean cooking access and technical support.

The Eket facility, described as the first of its kind in West Africa, is expected to address a long-standing industry challenge surrounding crude measurement accuracy, a problem that has historically contributed to disputes among operators, revenue leakages and reliance on overseas laboratories for calibration services.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Chief Executive of NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, commended Engineering Automation Technology Limited, the indigenous firm that developed the facility, for its vision, courage and patriotism in investing in the state-of-the-art project.

Eyesan, who was represented by the Deputy Director for Development, Manuel Ibituroko, described the plant as “a transformative leap forward”, noting that it features zero-touch automation, tamper-proof audit trails, and high-precision gravimetric standards designed to eliminate human error and minimise downtime.

According to the Commission, the facility can calibrate turbine, ultrasonic, Coriolis, electromagnetic and positive displacement meters, critical devices used to determine volumes of crude flowing through pipelines and export terminals, thereby improving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and production optimisation across the industry.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Engineering Automation Technology Limited, Dr Emmanuel Okon, said the project emerged from Nigeria’s local content drive after indigenous companies were encouraged in 2020 to build technical capacity within the country.

ACCORDING to a statement by the spokesperson to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (gas), Louis Mbah, yesterday, the agreement was signed at the IEA headquarters in Paris, France.

Speaking during the signing, the Minister of State, Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the agreement formalised a strategic partnership aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening governance, and aligning Nigeria’s petroleum industry with global best practices.

He noted that the collaboration builds on earlier engagements between both parties, including the inaugural sub-Saharan roundtable on methane emissions reduction hosted in Nigeria.

The minister explained that the framework covered methane emissions reduction, policy and analytical support, institutional and technical capacity building, data sharing, as well as gas development and expansion of gas infrastructure.

IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol, who represented the agency at the ceremony, commended Nigeria’s commitment to methane reduction and clean cooking gas expansion. (The Guardian)

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