The Facts
Exxonmobil had applied to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum
Regulatory Commission ("NUPRC" or the
"Commission") for authorisation to treat its operations
as an integrated operation. This application was subsequently
granted by the Commission.
Upon securing the Commission's authorisation, Exxonmobil
applied for and was granted clearance by the Commission to lift
12,600 metric tonnes of Butane at Bonny River Terminal aboard a
vessel known as Barumk Gas. After loading operations were
concluded, a Certificate of Quantity and Quality (CoQ) was issued
by an official of the NUPRC present at the loading
site.1
According to media publications,2 the Chief Executive
Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum
Regulatory Commission ("NMDPRA" or the
"Authority"), Farouk Ahmed, had petitioned the Chief of
Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, through a letter dated June 8,
2023,3 tagging the operations of Exxonmobil at the Bonny
River Terminal as an
