PENGASSAN threatens total shutdown over sale of NAOC, Eni Nigeria

… says 3000 native workers will lose their jobs.

In response to the reported sale of Eni Nigeria and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited to O and O Plc, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has threatened to evict all of its members from field and office sites.

Eyong Survival, the Branch Chairman of Agip Group PENGASSAN in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, gave the notification during a speech on Tuesday.

He scoffed at Oando’s purchase of all of the shares of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited from Eni Nigeria and at Eni Nigeria’s outright selling of its 20% equity stake in the NAOC JV to O and O without consulting or alerting the union.

When news of the sale of NAOC JV assets to O and O became public, he said the union held a meeting with the company’s management, but the managing director apparently denied that such a scheme existed.

The sale of NAOC JV, Survival mourned, will force many of its members into the labor market given the difficult economic climate the nation is currently experiencing.

He claims that “The Managing Director of Eni Nigeria, Mr. Fabrizio Bolondi, invited the workforce to a meeting on the 4th of September, 2023, and callously informed us that Eni has sold its 20% equity share in NAOC JV, consisting of OML 60, 61, 62, and 63, covering portions of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Imo States to Oando Nigeria Limited, transferring all her assets and liabilities to O and O,

“It is crucial to emphasize that the Union, who serves as the workers’ representation, was not informed beforehand that the sales deal would begin.

In a meeting with the management on July 12, 2023, the union asked Eni Nigeria management if they had any plans to sell the NAOC JV assets to O and O or any other company. The managing director vehemently denied having any plans to sell the JV assets.

He said, “Instead, the MD delivered presentations on planned injections of IPP phase 2 generated power into the national grid, as well as potential government conversion of OPL 245 to OML.

“Over 3000 indigenous workers may be forced into the labor market as a result of the news of the sale of NAOC JV assets to OANDO, as the specifics of their sales transaction were not disclosed.

The heartless declaration made by the MD of Eni Nigeria has caused a lot of NAOC employees to suddenly experience certain health issues.

“The union’s position is that Eni Management must follow the law. Until an appropriate deal is achieved with Eni Nigeria and AGIP Group PENGASSAN, the Union has ordered a complete withdrawal of all of its members from all offices and field locations of the firm.

“By that withdrawal move, gas supply to Indoranma has been impacted, daily oil production on 30,000 nbbls of crude oil has been discontinued, about 10mscf of LNG gas to NLNG has been cut off, and approximately 350MW of Okpai IPP electricity has been shut down to the national grid.”

Furthermore, Survival claimed that the management had evacuated all Italian expatriates from field areas before the unexpected news of the NAOC JV sale.