The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has intervened to avert industrial action at Agbami Offshore Oilfield operated by Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL). The General-Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, said on Thursday that Sylva had scheduled a meeting with the leadership of the union to find solution to the industrial disharmony.

PENGASSAN had threatened to strike and shut down the deep offshore facility over alleged moves by Chevron to cut its workforce by 25 per cent, among other issues. Okugbawa said: “Chief Sylva has scheduled a meeting with us. We are not on strike yet. Sylva has scheduled a meeting with us for negotiations. It is after our meeting with him that we shall agree on the decision for the industrial action. By the end of work on Thursday, the outcome of our meeting will be known.”

Chevron Nigeria Ltd in a statement on October 2, 2020 announced plans to lay off at least 600 of its workforce, a development that angered the in-house branch of PENGASSAN to protest. Its General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, had in a statement noted that the 25 per cent job cut was to reposition the oil firm for greater efficiency and competitiveness.

Agbami field, which has capacity for up to 250,000 barrels per day (bpd), is said to be producing about 140,000 bpd, according to industry data.

Source: The Nation