Employees of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (Nigeria) Limited, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) & the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) since Tuesday, December 1, 2020 picketed the Operations Base Office of the company along KM 10 Sapele Road, Benin City, and the Ovade - Ogharefe Gas Plant Processing Facility & Flow-Station in Ovade, Oghara, Delta State.

The PENGASSAN Chairman, Comrade Rex Aibangbee and his NUPENG counterpart, Comrade Aboy Udi in a joint statement made available to journalists, stated that the action of the members is borne out of the non payment of severance to employees by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, following the revocation and handover of the OML 98 acreage to the NPDC, discussions over employees roll over, as well as legacy payment of PAYE tax and contributory pension of over 36 months by Pan Ocean management.

It could be recalled that prior to the revocation and hand over, Pan Ocean was in a Joint Venture Partnership with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, with the NNPC having a 60% stake and Pan Ocean 40%.

The Union also accused the management of Pan Ocean and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of insensitivity, insincerity and impunity in handling the affairs of employees following the handover of the acreage.

The Union Executives promised to shut down the Gas Plant Facility & Flow Station, which would affect crude oil activities of NPDC Oredo field, OML 147 production and the supply of gas to Egbin power station.