Reps c’ttee vows tougher oversight midstream oil sector

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) has vowed to deepen legislative scrutiny of Nigeria’s midstream petroleum sector, promising more aggressive oversight of operators and regulators as it seeks to improve energy security, domestic gas utilisation and accountability across the industry.

The commitment emerged from two legislative retreats held by the committee in Port Harcourt and Lagos recently, where lawmakers reviewed challenges facing the sector and adopted measures aimed at strengthening parliamentary oversight within the ambit of the Petroleum Industry Act.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Monday, the Chairman of the Committee, Odianosen Okojie, said the era of relying solely on reports and presentations was over, insisting that legislators must engage directly with facilities and stakeholders to understand the realities of the industry.

“Recently, we did something that I believe should become standard practice for every legislative committee in Nigeria: we went to see for ourselves.

“We did not wait for briefing notes and ministerial reports. We travelled directly from the airport to Greenville LNG and to Indorama Petrochemicals Ltd, and we saw with our own eyes the scale, the complexity, and the realities of midstream operations in this country,” he said.

The committee conducted oversight visits to Greenville Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited in Rumuji and Indorama Petrochemicals Limited in Rivers State before holding intensive sessions on legislative oversight and sector regulation.

One of the key outcomes of the retreat was the committee’s decision to undertake a follow-up visit to Greenville LNG after reviewing documents formally requested from the company.

According to Okojie, the committee intends to deepen its assessment of the firm’s operations and compliance framework before concluding.

“The Committee has resolved to conduct a follow-up visit to the Greenville facility upon receipt and satisfactory review of certain documents that the Committee has formally requested of the company.

“We expect Greenville’s full cooperation, and we look forward to deepening our engagement with a company that is doing genuinely pioneering work in Nigeria’s domestic gas distribution landscape,” he said.

The committee also passed a formal vote of confidence in Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, citing the company’s contribution to Nigeria’s petrochemical industry and its engagement with the legislative oversight process.

Okojie said the decision reflected the committee’s commitment to recognising excellence while maintaining strict oversight standards.

“Following our visit to Indorama Petrochemicals Ltd, this Committee passed a formal vote of confidence in the company, a recognition of Indorama’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s petrochemical and industrial value chain, and of the professionalism and transparency with which its management engaged with our oversight process,” he said.

At the Lagos retreat, lawmakers and industry stakeholders emphasised the strategic importance of the midstream segment, describing it as the bridge between hydrocarbon production and domestic consumption.

In a presentation delivered to the committee, the Lead Consultant noted that the sector plays a decisive role in determining whether Nigerians enjoy a reliable energy supply, competitive industrial feedstock and affordable petroleum products.

“The midstream petroleum sector is the indispensable bridge of the oil and gas value chain. It connects production at the wellhead to the markets, homes and industries that depend on energy,” the presentation stated.

The consultant identified inadequate infrastructure, regulatory disputes, asset vandalism, pipeline security concerns, tariff issues and slow domestic gas utilisation as major obstacles confronting the industry.

Commends PINL

Meanwhile, Okojie, on behalf of the Committee, commended the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited for its role in securing the nation’s oil and gas assets. PINL renders services across the petroleum value chain, particularly in pipeline security, engineering, procurement, and maintenance.

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Okojie said PINL “Has in the past few years done remarkably in construction, maintenance and security services in the oil and gas sector. The Committee is very proud of what PINL has been able to do for the industry. They have been very professional and patriotic in the execution of their mandate.”

According to the Edo lawmaker, “PINL is largely responsible for the protection and maintenance of oil and gas facilities over the years, and this has helped to keep crude oil production steady and stable.

“Not only has PINL helped in rendering surveillance and security services, but they have also provided jobs to our teeming youths in the Niger Delta region and other areas of its jurisdiction. In all its corridors, the company has done well in providing cutting-edge technology services to the nation. As a Committee, we are proud of PINL’s achievements, and we encourage you to keep this momentum,” he added.

The committee’s discussions repeatedly returned to the need for stronger implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

According to Okojie, oversight would no longer be measured by the number of hearings held but by tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Our theme, ‘Oversight in Action,’ was not chosen for its elegance. It was chosen because oversight that exists only on paper changes nothing,” he said.

“The Nigerian people do not feel the words of our resolutions. They feel the price of cooking gas in their kitchens, the reliability of power in their homes, the integrity of the pipelines that cross their communities, and the vitality of the industries that employ their children.”

Okojie, who represents Esan North-East/Esan South-East Federal Constituency of Edo State, said the committee would hold both regulators and operators accountable while encouraging investment and industry growth.

“We will hold our regulatory authorities to the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and we will demand the same of every operator in this industry. Where there is excellence, we will commend it. Where there is failure, we will confront it without apology,” he added.

Legislative action ahead

In its communiqué issued at the end of the Port Harcourt retreat, the committee reaffirmed its constitutional oversight mandate and pledged to translate the outcomes of the exercise into concrete legislative measures.

The committee said resolutions reached during the retreat would form the basis for future oversight hearings, committee directives and legislative instruments in the 10th Assembly.

“The findings and commitments of this retreat will be translated directly into concrete legislative instruments, oversight hearings, and binding directives,” the communiqué stated.

Lawmakers also called on regulators, investors, operators, host communities and civil society organisations to engage constructively with the legislative process as Nigeria seeks to build a more transparent and efficient midstream petroleum industry.

The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) was created following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, which restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and established a distinct regulatory framework for the midstream and downstream segments.

The midstream sector covers gas processing, transportation, storage infrastructure, terminals, pipelines and wholesale supply systems that move petroleum products and natural gas from production centres to industries and consumers.

Industry experts regard the segment as critical to Nigeria’s “Decade of Gas” agenda, domestic energy security, industrialisation efforts and broader economic diversification plans.

With the committee now signalling a more hands-on oversight approach, operators and regulators alike are expected to face closer legislative scrutiny in the months ahead.