The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said they would partner to check the incidences of oil spill across the country.

Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, made this known when he received the Director General of NOSDRA, Mr Idris Musa, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Wednesday.

In a statement signed by Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, the spokesman for the corporation, Kyari said that as a National Oil Company, the NNPC pipelines, flow stations and assets across the country were jointly owned by the Federation.

He maintained that the Corporation produces crude oil to maintain a balance sheet for the nation.

“We have taken a number of steps to stem oil spill by deploying technology in order to make sure that whenever there is an oil spill incidence, it is contained almost immediately.

“We contain the incidences of oil theft, pipeline vandalism and acts of saboteurs and we intend to bring it to the barest minimum,” he said.

Kyari noted that the NNPC operated both crude oil and petroleum products pipelines, adding that the Corporation was collaborating with its partners to curb incidences of oil spill in its areas of operations.

He said the Corporation would also forge closer ties with NOSDRA to proactively forestall oil spill in areas that were prone to incessant incidences.

Earlier, Musa said the Agency was prepared to partner the NNPC in mitigating oil spill in all areas of its operations.

He added that the partnership would ensure a good operating environment for the operators and the communities.

He added that breaking of petroleum products pipelines did not provide food, water and good environment for the people.

He explained that the malaise bleeds the national purse of revenues that would have being used to provide developmental infrastructure for Nigerians. (NAN)