The management contractor for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Manitoba Hydro International of Canada, has expressed regrets over the challenges which contributed to the delays in its takeover of the operations of the company.

Indigenous Marginal Field, MF producer, Energia Limited, said it hoped to increase oil production from its Oil Mining Lease, OML 56, to 10,000 barrels per day, bpd, by 2013. Current capacity from the block is put at 5000 bpd and expected to inch higher to 7,000bpd by mid-December.

Determined to sustain its pivotal role in the global hydrocarbon map, the Federal Government has said it is committed to ensuring sustainable security of the energy mix to promote greenhouse energy initiative and to address the current flooding challenge that has bedeviled the country.

THE Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) has donated the sum of one million dollars towards relief efforts in support of flood displaced persons in 24 states across the country. The cash donation is part of the Company’s collaboration and support programme to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in conjunction with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, towards effective post flood disaster relief operations in the country. The support will be enhanced by funds collected through an ongoing employee donation programme, in which the Company will match contributions by its staff.

NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has petitioned the Presidency over the sack of 17 of its officials including the caretaker committee chairman, by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.

THE Federal Government has announced its desire to boost sustainable electricity supply to about 75 percent of Nigeria’s total population within the next 13 years as it plans to have a combined supply capacity of 40,000 Mega watts by the said period.

THE World Petroleum Council (WPC) has announced its official endorsement of the Middle East Process Engineering Conference & Exhibition, MEPEC 2013, just as its President, Dr Renato Bertani, has accepted to join the MEPEC Advisory Committee.

The journey to the privatization of the 11 Distribution Companies created from the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, a product of the defunct National Electric Power Authority, NEPA, started in December 2010 when the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, through its secretariat, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, advertised for Expressions of Interests by prospective investors willing to take up majority stakes in each of the companies.

Despite being informed about the unethical activities of some of their retail outlets, the franchise owners of AP, now, Forte Oil, Conoil and MRS, have done nothing with regard to their outlets selling petrol at N105/litre, rather than the approved N97/L.

Sequel to the rejection of the commercial bid results announced by the Bureau of Public Entreprises, BPE, for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company by four southern state governors, industry workers have described the sale of PHCN assets for about N200billion as the greatest disservice to Nigeria. They maintained that the assets are worth over N3trillion.