The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday said that the country’s power supply would drop by 1500MW due to Monday’s destruction of gas pipeline in Gbaramatu, Warri in Delta.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Gas Company, Mr Dafe Sejebor made this known to newsmen after a tour of the vadalised facilities in Inikorogha, Ubefan and Balan in Gbaramotu Delta.

The managing director who was represented by the Executive Director Services, Mr Joseph Olisa, said the nation would lose N2.5 billion within 21 days that the gas supply would be restored.

He explained that whenever there was destruction on pipelines it affected production and stopped supply of gas thereby leading to loss of revenue.

``When these pipelines are tampered with the gas volumes that are supposed to be sent to the power plants are lost.

``Whenever it happens we lose up to 1.5 gigawatts to the national grid.

``That is colossal in terms of cost volume of almost 200 million standard cubic feet of gas being lost per day,” he said.

While expressing regrets over the spate of vandalism on gas pipelines in the recent times, the managing director described the act as economic sabotage.

According to him, the recent vandalism which is on the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) is core to the nation’s power supply.

He said the pipeline was the heart beat or the core of pipelines that took gas to the western part of the country.